Bosom Buddies run for cause close to their hearts

A team of radiographers from QEHB’s radiotherapy department stormed their way through the Great Midlands Fun Run in Sutton Coldfield last month raising a fantastic £2,626 for QEHB’s Cancer Appeal.

Brothers Ben and Matt Allen, Megan Barradell, Matt's partner, and more than 40 of their family and friends ran to raise money for a specialist piece of equipment in the field of breast cancer. Megan, from Sutton Coldfield, found a pea-sized lump in her left breast whilst travelling around South America in July 2016, four weeks later, when Megan returned home, the lump had grown to the size of a lemon. Megan sought urgent medical attention and was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer and was immediately given eight courses of chemotherapy, followed by intensive radiotherapy. Fortunately the treatment was successful in shrinking the tumour, and just after Megan’s 40th birthday she received surgery to remove it.

Megan has now launched the campaign, ‘Bosom Buddies’ to support QEHB Charity in purchasing a deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) machine which uses advanced technology to reduce the amount of damage caused to the heart and surrounding tissues typically associated with left-sided breast cancer treatment. The DIBH works by monitoring the patient’s breathing and switching the radiation on when the lungs are inflated and the heart is furthest away from to the radiation.

Megan explained: “I was really lucky in that I was able to have this treatment but it is currently not available at QEHB, we are really happy with the amount we’ve raised from our first event, it was a hard event for me especially because although I have always been fit, this was the first run I have competed in since having my surgery, I was slow, but I finished it! I feel really motivated to continue fundraising for QEHB Charity as this is a cause close to my heart.”

If you would like to donate to the Bosom Buddies' click here