A mental health nurse is taking part in a charity walk in memory of their father.
Sophie Phillips is taking part in Cancer Research UK’s 10km Shine Night Walk in Cambridge on 17 October.
Sophie lost their father Austen to brain cancer in May 2022.
He had been rushed to hospital in November 2021 after experiencing seizures and was diagnosed with a stage 4 glioblastoma tumour in January 2022.
Sophie, who works in Ardleigh ward at The Lakes mental health unit in Colchester, said: “He deteriorated quickly and was in and out of hospital. On the morning of 13 May he was rushed to hospital and was moved to St Helena Hospice in Colchester that same day.
“He sadly passed away that night.
“I want to raise money towards finding a cure for those with cancer, specifically brain cancer to give others suffering with brain cancer a chance.”
The charity walk will be Sophie’s first fundraising event.
Statistics from Cancer Research UK show that more than 12,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with brain cancers or tumours every year.
If you would like to sponsor Sophie, visit Sophie’s fundraising page.
About EPUT:
- EPUT has a vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care:Who we are – Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- EPUT provides services to more than 100,000 patients at any one time and our staff are focused on providing high quality care in often complex situations.
- The organisation has invested in inpatient facilities and community services to make them safer and more therapeutic. We have extensively invested in technology to keep patients safer, enhanced training, and are continuously working with our staff, patients, their families and carers to use learning and best practice to enhance our quality of care.
- While there is more to do, the Trust has made significant progress through innovation:
- Our 111 mental health crisis phone line ensures people in need can access support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- People with lived experience have been employed in designated roles across the Trust, ensuring patient voice is heart of the organisation and all that we do.
- A number of new initiatives have been launched, helping people access the support they need when they need it most. These include a mental health urgent care department, By Your Side maternal mental health service, Rough Sleeper team, mental health crisis ambulance cars, virtual wards and neuromodulation service.
- EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 and provides community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex, Luton and Bedfordshire and Suffolk. We employ more than 7,200 staff working across more than 200 sites.
- To read more about our priorities and commitments to deliver the highest quality and safest care possible, visit https://eput.nhs.uk/about-us/2023-2028-strategic-plan