A BOWEL cancer survivor has marked her 80th birthday with a special thank you to the medical team that saved her life.
Joy Ibbotson, of Ellesmere Rise, Grimsby, underwent an operation to remove the cancer in August last year.
And when her friends and relatives got together to organise her birthday bash earlier this month, Joy asked that instead of buying her presents, they donate to the Bottoms Up Fund at Grimsby's Diana, Princess Of Wales Hospital. A total of £810 was raised.
Launched as the Bottoms Up Appeal in February 2009, the Grimsby Telegraph-backed campaign raised £192,000 in just eight months to pay for six new high-observation beds (HOBs) to aid the recovery of colorectal surgery patients.
The new bay, which allows for shorter waiting times and quicker recoveries, was officially opened in April 2011.
Since then, the Bottoms Up Fund has continued to raise money for new equipment to improve the service for bowel cancer patients.
Joy said: "The treatment I have had in the hospital has been absolutely wonderful. I can't fault it.
"I didn't want presents for my birthday. I wanted to give something back to thank the staff for what they have done for me."
Joy admits her first reaction on being diagnosed was one of "fright", but insists it is important for cancer patients to think positively.
"People shouldn't be frightened to come into hospital and have this operation. Everything is explained so well."
Joy underwent the five-hour operation last August. A few days later her surgeon Kishore Sasapu gave her the good news.
"He came in and said: 'We have got it all. You are going to be OK.' I was absolutely over the moon."
Joy went to see her doctor straight after she started bleeding and feeling ill – action which she believes may have saved her life.
"I had got an idea what it was, but all the time you think 'it can't be'."
"My father died from bowel cancer about 40 years ago. That was another thing that made me think."
Mr Sasapu said: "We are very grateful to Joy for this donation and we hope she has many more years of fulfilling life.
"The money will be used to improve the colorectal cancer services within the trust.
"We have bought new theatre equipment, contributed to the anaesthetic department and we have also built a room for specialist colorectal nurses to see patients.
"Donations to the fund are immensely important. If we had to rely just on money from the Government we would have to wait a lot longer to do all of these things."
ON THE WEB: Read more about the Bottoms Up Fund at www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk
