Cancer of Unknown Primary Foundation

Cancer of Unknown Primary Foundation - Jo's friends

Jo Symons (nee McEwan) died in 2006. The CUP Foundation was established in her memory by family and friends to raise awareness and provide information and support to CUP patients and their carers. It has already received much support locally.

Please do continue to help our work by choosing our Christmas cards for 2012, available from our website:

www.cupfoundjo.org

Registered charity No 1119380

News of new Cancer Charity set up in memory of Brockham resident Jo Symons, (nee McEwan) by her family and friends.

Her sister, Philippa McEwan, writes:

The McEwans have lived in Brockham Green for over fifty years. Our parents moved to the village from London in 1958 and they were told that one didn't qualify as locals until you had lived here for 25 years! After over fifty years in Wheelers Lane - I think we can safely say we have passed that test.

My sister and I had an idyllic country childhood, riding round the lanes on our bicycles and entering the village flower shows. I treasure a fading black and white photo from the Dorking Advertiser taken in the Village Hall at one show, with our toothy grinning faces peering out of the grainy newsprint. Although our adult lives took us away from Brockham, we remained frequent visitors, always returning of course, for the Bonfire celebrations.

In September 2006, family and friends gathered at Christ Church for a poignant and sad occasion - my sister's funeral service.

Aged 46, Jo had died from a rare and little understood cancer - Cancer of Unknown Primary. From diagnosis to death it had been just six months.

After the service, at the funeral tea in the gardens of South Lodge (courtesy of Joanna Rowlands), I spoke of our desire to do something to provide support for those afflicted by this poorly researched Cancer. Just over two years later, Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP) Foundation - Jo's friends, has celebrated its first birthday.

Cancer of Unknown Primary is a hidden cancer. It is sometimes referred to as Tumour of Unknown Origin and describes a cancer where the primary site cannot be identified. It seems unbelievable that in the 21^st century it is not possible to neither diagnose the primary cancer nor treat the secondaries to gain significant remission. 'Jo's friends' was born out of a collective determination to make a difference.

To provide information and support to CUP patients & carers through a website
To raise awareness to stimulate change and promote action that will end CUP
To promote and support research

Do look at our website (www.cupfoundjo.org) for detailed information about the charity, and you will find other ways you can support our work. Tell your friends, and help raise awareness of CUP - to ensure that one day CUP will be confined to history.