An Aberdeen square dancing group has come together to raise money for a cancer charity which supported one of its member’s families.
The Aberdeen Kilt Kickers decided to raise money for the UK charity Ovacome after member Sheila Esson’s daughter was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
The 76-year-old, from Bucksburn, and her fellow square dancers have raised a grand total of £2,469.20 over the past year.
She said: “Every year we choose a charity to raise funds for, usually for a cause that affects someone in the group.
“This past year, it’s been for myself. My daughter, Gillian, got support from Ovacome after her diagnosis so we’ve been raising money for them.”
Support from Ovacome
Gillian Esson was diagnosed in July 2020 at the height of the pandemic and has been supported by the charity throughout her cancer journey.
She first went to the doctor due to “24/7 bloating” and was quickly called back in for a face-to-face appointment.
The 53-year-old said: “When that happens during a pandemic, you know it’s not going to be good news.
“At the very beginning when there’s so much going through your mind, and you haven’t learned enough about it, the support and knowledge from Ovacome was fantastic.
“I’ve been to them for a few different things and they’ve always been so helpful, and so lovely with it. I don’t use them all the time, but I know that they’re always there with a kind word. You can’t get better than that.”
‘Living life to the full’
Following a successful operation in October 2020 and a round of chemotherapy, a scan showed that a new tumour had appeared which changed Miss Esson’s diagnosis from curable to incurable.
She continued: “The emotional side has been its own journey. Hearing you have cancer is never a good thing, hearing it’s incurable adds that extra layer of difficulty to it.
“I’ve had friends and family around me which has been fantastic. One of my friends recommended a mindfulness course, which is rooted in Buddhism, and it’s really helped me to come to terms with what I’m going through and to appreciate each individual day as it happens.”
Her mum added that Miss Esson has focused on the positives over the past few years and is “living life to the full”.
She added: “She’s a fantastic person with a new lease of life.”
Special dance night
The Aberdeen Kilt Kickers have spent the past 12 months raising the money through different activities, including raffles and selling homemade toffee.
On Monday, the mother and daughter joined the dedicated square dancers at a special dance evening at WRI Hall in Kirk Brae, Cults to celebrate the achievement.
Ovacome’s fundraising manager, Lee Priestly, also travelled up from London to receive the cheque – and join in with the dancing.
Victoria Clare, chief executive of Ovacome, said: “Ovacome is a small charity with a big job to do and we use our funds very cautiously to make sure we support as many people as possible who are affected by ovarian cancer in the ways they need most.
“The fundraising efforts by the Aberdeen Kilt Kickers have been incredible and we are so very grateful. These funds will help us to keep our support services running and ensure that we can provide information to people who need it at the right time.
“It really makes a very big difference and we are so grateful to everyone involved in the fundraising.”
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
As the UK’s national ovarian cancer support charity, Ovacome provides a 24-hour online forum, as well as a telephone, email, text and an instant chat line.
Those who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and their loved ones, can also take part in regional events and access online talks and workshops.
To mark Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, which runs throughout March, the charity is sharing key information about the disease.
Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer in women in the UK, with six in 10 cases diagnosed at a late stage.
The symptoms can be very similar to other conditions, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and the menopause.
Ovacome uses the acronym Beat to highlight the most common signs people should look out for:
- B is for bloating that does not come and go
- E is for difficulty eating and feeling more full quickly
- A is for abdominal and pelvic pain you feel most days
- T is for toilet changes in urination or bowel habits
Other symptoms can include fatigue, backache, unusual vaginal bleeding and weight loss.
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