Derbyshire strangers united by cancer through new Macmillan project form ‘friendship for life’

Denise Hudson, 79, and Suzanne Mitchell, 77, from Dronfield, were both diagnosed with bowel cancer within months of each other. The two women live less than a mile apart, but had never met, until they were brought together by the Macmillan Prehabilitation Project.

The innovative project, funded by Macmillan, ensures people are mentally, physically and emotionally ready to face the challenge of cancer before treatment even starts to give them the best chance of recovery.

Regular classes bring together people with the same type of cancer to exercise, receive health and wellbeing tips and psychological support. When Denise and Suzanne joined the class they struck up an instant friendship.

Suzanne said: “We were sat on the exercise bikes next to each other and just sort of hit it off. Denise is a similar age to me and also had bowel cancer. Like me she also lost her first husband so there were a lot of similarities there. It was horrible, going through cancer without my husband, but having my daughters and Denise around really helped.”

Denise’s son was diagnosed with leukaemia when he was 9-years-old so the experience brought back a lot of difficult memories.

She said: “I did find it stressful. Going to the classes helped me to feel in control, like I was doing something to help. I never felt stressed when I was there. But it wasn’t just about getting physically fitter, it’s the camaraderie between everyone, knowing that we’re all going through the same thing. And of course there was Suzanne. It was nice to talk to someone who understood what it was like. We still phone each other every week to have a chat. She’s become a good friend.”

Growing evidence suggests prehabilitation – consisting of exercise, nutritional and emotional support – can improve the effectiveness of treatment and enhance survival rates, cutting hospital stays by two days.

The two year pilot project offers one-on-one tailored support for people with colorectal and breast cancer. With additional funding, the team hope to be able to extend the support to people affected by other cancers too.

For Suzanne, her improved physical fitness meant a reduced hospital stay so she could be home for Christmas and her grand-daughter’s birthday.

She said: “It meant so much to be able to go home a bit sooner. It’s encouraged me to try and do more exercise and stay fit. Denise has invited me to walk the dog with her and we’re going to an exercise class together.”

Dave Archer, Macmillan Prehabilitation project lead at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, said: “This is a relatively new area but there is growing evidence that prehabilitation is a really effective tool for improving cancer outcomes. When we repeat our assessments following completion of the programme, we see that people have significantly improved their physical health, are less anxious and report improved quality of life.”

For more information about the Macmillan Prehabilitation Project at Chesterfield Royal Hospital speak to your clinical nurse specialist. For information, support of just someone to talk to, call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00.