A man from Accrington has opened up about his cancer diagnosis – and how he is taking on a marathon to raise funds for the charity that helped him in his recovery.
David Battersby, 56, is gearing up to participate in the Windermere Marathon on Saturday May 18, to raise funds for The Christie Charity.
David, who now lives in Milnthorpe in South Cumbria, was diagnosed with refractory acute myeloid leukaemia, a type of blood cancer that starts from young white blood cells in the bone marrow, in 2005.
He received treatment at The Christie Hospital, in Manchester.
He said: “The Christie’s reputation made it an easy decision. I eventually needed to have a stem cell bone marrow transplant and underwent that in May 2006.
“Having been an inpatient at the hospital for over 18 months and then been there every day too for many additional months, as an outpatient I saw the work and dedication of every member of staff, and the care and support that we all received was a very large piece of the jigsaw puzzle in my treatment and recovery.
“It wasn’t just me, my wife Rachel, her parents Gareth and Chris Ball, and my late mother Margaret were all given tremendous support from The Christie.
“Having access to the latest treatments or trials, and also things such as complementary therapies, helped me to keep me positive and keep me going during the long weeks in hospital.
“The chances of my making a long-term recovery were very small but as the days, months, and eventually years went by, with the amazing care and help and guidance of everyone on the haematology unit, I am still here and living a full life!”
He has previously raised funds for The Christie Charity through various challenges, including the Yorkshire Three Peaks.
Since lockdown, David has embraced running and participated in various trail races in the Lake District, including two half marathons. Now, he is ready to tackle his first marathon – his biggest challenge to date.
David, a piano teacher, said: “It felt only natural to me to go from half to a full marathon and it will be all on roads around Windermere that I am very familiar with. It’s also easy to get to and is on a date that I can do without it affecting my music concerts and work commitments.
“Any money raised will go on to benefit patients and staff who are at the hospital now. It played a huge role in my recovery, and my family and I hold the hospital and staff in the highest regard. It is part of who I am today.”
Alicia Gaffey, sporting events co-ordinator at The Christie Charity said: “David has been such a brilliant fundraiser for The Christie Charity in recent years. We wish him all the very best of luck with his biggest running challenge to date, the Windemere Marathon.”
Symptoms of acute myeloid leukaemia
The symptoms of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) usually develop over a few weeks, becoming more severe as the number of immature white blood cells increases.
Symptoms of AML can include:
- skin looking pale or "washed out"
- tiredness
- breathlessness
- losing weight without trying
- frequent infections
- having a high temperature, and feeling hot or shivery (fever)
- night sweats
- unusual and frequent bleeding, such as bleeding gums or nosebleeds
- easily bruised skin
- flat red or purple spots on the skin
- bone and joint pain
- a feeling of fullness or discomfort in your tummy
- swollen glands in your neck, armpit or groin that may be sore when you touch them
To support the work of The Christie Charity, please go to visit the hospital website at christie.nhs.uk or ring 0161 446 3988.
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