According to a story from falmouthpacket.co.uk, couple Geoff and Judie Davis were devastated when their two year old boy Mikey died after being diagnosed with neuroblastoma. That was more than 40 years ago. At the time, the couple received support from an organization called Sargent Cancer Care for Children. Today, the group is still around and goes by the name CLIC Sargent. To fundraise for the organization, Geoff is going on a singing tour at Morrisons supermarket stores in the Cornwall area.
About Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that appears in nerve tissue. Children are more frequently affected than adults. The direct cause of neuroblastoma is not known in most cases; in a small number of patients, an inherited mutation ALK gene has been implicated, but this only explains around two percent of cases at the most. Symptoms of neuroblastoma include a lump in the affected area which may be blue in color, bone and joint pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, and fever. Other symptoms vary depending on where the tumor is located; it typically originates in the adrenal glands but can also appear on the spine, neck, abdomen, or chest. Treatment approaches include immunotherapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, and stem cell transplant. Outcomes vary considerably; the five year survival rate is 68 percent for patients between age one and fourteen. To learn more about neuroblastoma, click here.
Geoff’s Story
The Morrisons chain of supermarkets has chosen CLIC Sargent as their charity partner organization. Geoff, who is now 71 years old, has been on his singing tour for around 16 months. During that time, he has managed to raise a grand total of £42,000 for CLIC Sargent.
“They gave us some financial help, support and understanding and we have never forgotten their kindness.” – Geoff Davis
Geoff often sings for more than six hours at a time and his tour is expected to culminate on February 4th, which is World Cancer Day. On this day, CLIC Sargent aims to highlight the financial and emotional turmoil that pediatric cancer patients face as they anxiously wait for the results of treatment.
To learn more about the activities of CLIC Sargent, check out their website here.
