The chapter closed on Patricia Leaver’s five-year cancer journey when she rang the bell at Colchester Hospital to signal the end of her bowel cancer treatment.
Patricia Leaver, 63, from Harwich, marked the milestone in the Radiotherapy department, watched by husband Tony, colorectal surgeon Subash Vasudevan, cancer nurse specialist Rosy Quince, and Cancer Wellbeing Centre volunteer Mark Underwood.
Patricia cuddles teddy bear Alison, named after her late best friend.
Patricia, a former cancer wellbeing centre volunteer herself, was diagnosed during COVID in 2021 and had ground-breaking robotic surgery to remove an 8cm tumour.
She was also accompanied to the hospital by her teddy bear Alison, made using clothes belonging to her late best friend of the same name, who died from multi organ failure following a collapsed gallbladder.
Patricia said: “I thought I was going to be strong, but it’s emotional as it feels like the first day of being told about my cancer. I feel really honoured though to be able to do this with my surgeon, who is amazing.
“Everything I have experienced at the hospital has been positive, the support from the whole hospital team has been outstanding. I just feel overwhelmed.”
During her cancer journey Patricia was inspired by Dame Deborah James, otherwise known as ‘Bowel Babe’ – the late journalist who used her platform to raise awareness of bowel cancer and raised more than £20m for research into the disease.
Patricia said: “Her journey was amazing, but it was dark, you know, and she was a lot younger than I was. I want to give people hope.
“People are being diagnosed with cancer a lot younger than me. People who do come out of it and survive and have a great journey.”
Patricia, who credit
Patricia Leaver rings the bell
s the hospital for saving her life twice – having contracted pneumococcal meningitis on her return from a mission in Benin, in 2006 – said: “I’ve had a great journey but once you have had cancer it never leaves you and lives in your brain rent free.
“The first three years were hard, because you’re being monitored every year, and you’re thinking what are they going to find?
“But I’ve just got on with life, and I am grateful for every day.
“I’ve lost three friends: one was to cancer in the past three years, who were all younger than me, so I just think life is precious and I have been given that gift.
“I have an allotment now, so I will be spending a lot of time there.
“I would like to return as a hospital volunteer but unfortunately I am losing my sight and can no longer drive here.”
Patricia, left, pictured with her husband Tony, Mr Subash Vasudevan, Rosy Quince and Mark Underwood