The aim of the OPA Ref-Lux awareness campaign is to educate the public, pharmacists, and GPs about the early signs for oesophageal cancer: heartburn, indigestion and food getting stuck; we know that only 30% of patients get curative treatment. Hence 70% of them are incurable.

Ed Cheong and Sammy Morgan attended a local football match in Norwich. The two teams Mulbarton and Harleston were playing for the Don Frost Memorial trophy.

Pictured is Sammy Morgan, former international footballer & Ref-Lux Supporter.

Swizzel whistles were given out both as a sweet treat and to spread the message of the OPA Ref-Lux campaign – the whistles were branded with the message to ‘Blow the whistle on cancers of the oesophagus & stomach’.

Ed was invited to speak to the spectators and the Swizzel whistles were blown just prior to kickoff to help promote the campaign.

Find out more about the OPA Ref-Lux awareness campaign

Welcome to the Christmas 2017 edition of the OPA Newsletter which we hope you will enjoy reading. In this issue, introducing our new chairman Dave Chuter who is replacing Bob Mason, an update on our new office opening, bite size support groups, Christmas cards and lots more.

View the OPA Christmas 2017 Newsletter as a PDF

Our next get together is at OUR NEW VENUE The MacDonald Burlington Hotel, Burlington Arcade, 126 New Street, Birmingham, B2 4JQ (see map) on Saturday 21st October 2017 at 10.00 for 10.30 am.

Our speaker will be Ewen A Griffiths, Upper GI & Consultant General Surgeon who is based at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEHB), Birmingham.

Light refreshments will be available and the meeting will end around lunch time.

Please RVSP if you wish to attend, you can telephone the office on 0121 704 9860 or email enquiries@opa.org.uk or return the slip at the bottom of the invite (link below). We hope to see you there!

Download the Birmingham Autumn 2017 Meeting Invite as a PDF

Neil, a keen swimmer has raised over £5000 for the OPA already after his wife, Ceri, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. He plans to swim 100km in seas, lakes and pools by December 2017.

Neil says “We’ve called this cancer Deirdre (Apologies to all human Deirdres!). She has absolutely no place at our wedding in September and we plan to fundraise for OPA to help others.”

Family and friends have also been extremely generous by donating to the OPA as wedding presents for the couple and this has made a major contribution to the overall sum raised – the wedding took place on 2nd September 2017.

The OPA wants to say a big thank you to Neil, Ceri and their family and friends!

If you would like to read more about Neil’s story and donate too, please visit the BT Donate page:

https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/neilrushton1