Post script

A final farewell (from this Camino Diary) to all my wonderful supporters!  The following letter just arrived from Breakthrough Cancer Research and I wanted to relay it to you all.  Our family is once more struck down with this menacing disease so it is even more imperative that there should be accelerated research into a cure.  Thank you all from the bottom of my heart and please keep us all in yours....

May we take this opportunity to wish you all a healthy, peaceful and happy Christmas and all the best in 2015.  Buen Camino!

Glenlee, Western Road, Cork,  Ireland                                               11 December 2014

 

Dear Barbara,

On behalf of the staff and patients of Breakthrough Cancer Research supporting the Cork Cancer Research Centre, we would like to sincerely thank you for walking 400km Camino Walk in 2014, and raising vital funds for Cancer Research.

Your walk has been an incredible success in these challenging times with your sponsorship of €2758.00

We do not have any source of annual state funding and therefore are extremely reliant on the voluntary fundraising efforts made by the public.  The momentum generated by events such as the Camino Way provide the drive and encouragement for breakthroughs to be made and for new and improved treatments for poor prognoses and currently incurable cancers.

With regard to our recent research endeavours, our scientists have figured out why certain cancers such as oesophageal, ovarian and lymphoma do not respond to current chemotherapy regimes, and have developed a combination treatment which does work.  The Centre has invented an endoscopic device to successfully treat inoperable colorectal tumours which is currently being offered to patients under clinical trial.  The next phase of this research will design devices to treat inoperable lung, oesophageal and pancreatic cancer applying the same technology of electroporation.  The Centre has also developed a genetic therapy which helps the body’s own immune system to recognise and kill cancer cells.  This offers the best long-term hope for curing cancer at the advanced stage where the cancer has spread throughout the body.  In fact in October 2012, the work of one of our principal investigators, Dr Mark Tagney, was highlighted by the worldwide scientific publication, New Scientist magazine, as “one of the five most promising approaches to end cancer” in their article “The Fightback”.  Financial support will accelerate the progress of these cutting edge research programmes.

Please be assured that your financial contribution will go directly to cancer research and to the future breakthroughs which will improve how we can treat this disease.  We hope that we can rely on your continued support into the future.

Yours sincerely,

Ann O’Sullivan

Development Officer, Breakthrough Cancer Research