Yorkshire Cancer Research’s appeal comes as the charity also marks 100 years by reflecting on a pioneering MRI breakthrough in Hull
A cancer charity’s latest campaign is being supported by an East Yorkshire resident for whom 2025 marks 13 years since her own cancer diagnosis. Louise Hatfield, of North Ferriby, is backing Yorkshire Cancer Research’s (YCR) call to people to support its 2025 Christmas appeal, For More Christmases Together.
It will help fund life-saving cancer research and innovative cancer services in Yorkshire. This festive season, the charity is highlighting how donations can help give people with cancer, and their families, more time and more precious moments together.
YCR currently funds £75m of pioneering research, including 26 clinical trials, to find new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer in the county. Thanks to the generosity of supporters, the charity has been saving and extending lives for 100 years.
Estimates show that over 210 people in East Yorkshire will be diagnosed with cancer this Christmas. After Louise was diagnosed with breast cancer, she had a swift operation to remove the affected breast, as well as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but later faced serious health complications. In support of For More Christmases Together, Louise has recalled that first Christmas after her cancer treatment as being very strange.
Louise said: “I developed paraneoplastic neurological syndrome, a rare side effect of cancer where the immune system attacks parts of the nervous system. It was before Christmas in 2012 when I had to rely on a mobility aid to walk.
“I used to be a very active, independent person, so my cancer experience altered that first festive season completely.”
To help build her confidence, Louise started participating in fundraising challenges to support the vital work of YCR. This included “We Walk for Yorkshire”, where she set herself a personal walking goal and raised over £1,100 for life-saving cancer research in Yorkshire.
Louise said: “Taking part in an accessible challenge like ‘We Walk for Yorkshire’ helped me feel a bit more normal. It allowed me to accept my physical limitations while still contributing to ground-breaking progress in my region.
“Christmas is a special time to look back on how I’ve helped Yorkshire Cancer Research to fund cancer research in our region. Thirteen years on after my own diagnosis, I’ve never stopped feeling grateful for the chance to be here, and I try to enjoy every minute of the life I’ve been given.”
Next year, Louise and her partner Nick will both be turning 60 and they are looking forward to watching their eldest daughter walk down the aisle. When asked what her favourite Christmas tradition is, Louise said: “As a little girl, I was always so excited to open my gifts as soon as I woke up on Christmas morning.
“We now wait to take it in turns, but that little girl inside me still can’t wait to unwrap my presents! This Christmas, I’ll be happiest when our two daughters return to fill our home with noise and laughter.”
Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive at YCR, said: “This Christmas, there will be 222,000 people in Yorkshire who are living with cancer, or have been previously diagnosed with cancer. Too many families and friends in Yorkshire are facing uncertainty and worry.
“Through ground-breaking clinical trials and research, like the IMProVE trial, the charity is working with cancer experts across the region to find new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. By supporting this year’s Christmas appeal, people can help this vital work continue, leading to breakthroughs that can help keep loved ones together, for longer.”
YCR has been wrapping up its centenary year by reflecting on a pioneering MRI breakthrough in Hull that transformed cancer research in Yorkshire and beyond. In April 1992, Professor John Malland, the inventor of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, was joined by world-famous magician Paul Daniels, to officially open an innovative facility – the Centre for Magnetic Resonance Investigation at Hull Royal Infirmary.
The opening was a landmark occasion for cancer research in the county, with YCR providing over £22m to help fund the pioneering facility, working in partnership with Hull Health Authority and the University of Hull. The centre was hailed as being supported by a multi-disciplinary team “equal to any in the world”.
The Hull facility was the first in Britain to house two MRI machines under one roof – one funded by YCR for research purposes and the other by the NHS for cancer diagnosis. Within two years, the research machine had proved its worth.
A pioneering young physicist, Dr Stephen Blackband, won an international award for producing images deeper into the body than was previously possible and discovered how to increase image quality to show greater anatomical detail. This breakthrough was a vital step forward in improving diagnosis and surgical outcomes, inspiring further life-saving progress by researchers in Britain and America.
Dr Scott said: “Looking ahead, the charity is committed to working with researchers, supporters and people affected by cancer to find new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer in our region. Progress is being made all the time, but sadly, Yorkshire remains one of the regions hardest hit by cancer.
“Together, we can change this. The mission of Yorkshire Cancer Research is clear – to find new cancer cures and treatments and bring them to people in Yorkshire. By working closely with cancer experts and communities across the region, the charity can build a future where fewer lives are lost to cancer, and more people can share precious moments with their loved ones.
“Together, we will continue to make great progress toward a Yorkshire free from cancer.” You can find out how you can support vital research in Yorkshire and help more people with cancer, and their families, be together at Christmas by visiting www.ycr.org.uk/Christmases