"I owe my life to your charity"

I met a lady once while working for a cancer charity. The woman appeared quite frail and slightly started by my presence. I begun my pitch in the usual way, asking the lady how she was l, and she suddenly burst to life.

The lady proceeded to tell me how she had throat cancer six years ago, and since then she had been donating £20 a month to the charity I was representing. The strength of this woman, who had had her life turned upsidedown by her illness was amazing. She was incredibly proud to support the charity, and in her own words:

"If it weren't for the support and care I got I wouldn't be here. I owe my life to your charity."

She spoke very highly of the nurse who would visit her regularly, and the staff at the local cancer hospital. She then went on to tell me that roughly a year ago the cancer had returned.

Now facing her second bout of throat cancer you would understand if she wouldn't want to talk about it, after all medical issues can be quite sensitive topics for most people, but this individual was intrigued to hear what I had to say. It became less of a pitch and more of a conversation of the services available both medically and financially so as to lessen the impact cancer has on her life. She was grateful for the information, and had never realised we could help with things like her travel costs to hospital. She was spending up to £30 in travel everyday she went to the hospital, something which a patient shouldn't be having to cover when they already have bills, their home, and potential treatment costs to worry about.

After a long conversation, I thanked the lady for her time and as I was leaving she told me one more amazing thing:

She said that every Christmas she gives an extra £25 to two cancer charities mainly because they had done so much to help her, it was only fair that she give back to them so others could benefit from the care she received.