Three Small Words
Chris Curtis, founder of The Swallows Head and Neck Cancer Support Group, discusses how his life changed for the better after his diagnosis of oral cancer.
“You have cancer.” Friday 13th May 2011 at 11am my life fell apart. Three words that changed my life forever. A treatment plan was currently being discussed with me, but I couldn’t stop thinking “I am going to die”. Every piece of information I was given during this appointment went over my head and my mind had gone blank with shock.
Being around others that shared my experience and understood my pain meant that we could heal together. The group brought my positivity back and offered me a new lease of life. I knew I wanted to help others who feel lonely, isolated and scared, to feel that they are part of a community of people that understand, because they have experienced this themselves.
By November 2012, with the help of my skills in sales and marketing from my previous career, I helped the group develop and built it from a support group, up to full charity status. We have since helped over 6,500 like-minded people and communities worldwide going through the same experiences that I personally went through. The charity helps patients and carers across the globe by supporting them through their journeys, as well as offering a 24/7 helpline for patients and carers to use for advice and round the clock support. We also run a charity shop in Blackpool where the charity was founded. The shop is at the heart of the charity run by a great team of volunteers and managed by our dedicated manager Anne Nyland.
Having a strong support system around you whilst undergoing treatment is so important as it is these people that help you to stay strong throughout the cancer journey. Living with, and beyond cancer is very hard but once you embrace and understand the side effects that really affect your day-to-day life such as dry mouth, anxiety, weakness, tiredness etc. you can then look to plan and start to dream again. My dream is to help tomorrow’s patient and ensure his/her journey is better than today’s.
You hear the word cancer and you assume the worst, but it wasn’t the worst. I thought my life was going to end, but in fact I think being diagnosed with cancer was the best thing that happened to me, as it has changed my life for the better. My life is now about splitting my time between being the chairman of the Swallows Charity and World Cancer Patient Advocate.
The support the charity receives from our partners is what helps us to continue our hard work. Since teaming with Dental Sky they have supported us on a number of events and introduced us to some of the dental industry’s leading oral cancer specialists. Dental Sky have helped to open doors for us to expand the work we are doing and reach out to more of the dental community. We are working with Dental Sky to promote the importance of early detection with the help of such products as the Goccles. The Goccles are an innovative product that uses auto-fluorescent technology to detect any abnormalities within the mouth, even in their early stages. It is products like these and working with passionate industry professionals that are saving lives like mine and giving oral cancer patient’s a new lease of life.
Join us for the annual Head and Neck Cancer Conference in Brighton November 6th and 7th. This two day conference will bring you the latest information on head and neck cancer, from speakers across the medical profession as well as patients/carers who will share their oral cancer journey. Day 1 is dedicated to health professionals and day 2 for patients and carers. This is an incredible opportunity to learn more about oral cancer and how early detection can save patients from undergoing extensive treatment, as well as learn new techniques and test leading equipment in early detection.
We will be holding live demonstrations across the two days to show how Goccles, oral cancer screening glasses, can be used in practice and help save the lives of your patients. We will have live demonstrations on how to detect early signs of oral cancer and differentiate between safe abnormalities and cancerous legions.
To book your tickets or for further information please visit www.dentalsky.com/events
