An event in honour of the late Dr Rose Thompson will be taking place this Saturday for her work in establishing a cancer support group for women who are going through the challenges in fighting the disease.
A champion for Black healthcare equality and director of B’Me Against Cancer, Dr. Rose, a therapeutic radiographer passed away in June, and such was the huge legacy she left in her life and career, her life and incredible achievements will be celebrated at the Albert Hall, on North Circus Street, in Nottingham, on this Saturday (October 14). A multi-award winning campaigner, whose vision was to play her part in conquering of the fight against cancer health inequalities, she was the author of two BME prostate cancer reports which were launched in the House of Commons and was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Social Sciences from Nottingham Trent University in 2017.
Having qualified at the Nottingham School of Radiography, her career in cancer services began at Westminster Hospital radiotherapy department in London, in 1977. And, such was her unrelenting dedication to her work, in 2016 she went on to be named as Nottingham City Council's ‘Public Sector Person of the Year’. The Council also honoured her with a Goose Fair Award for being "the city's best," in recognition of the numerous cancer-focused community initiatives she led throughout her career there.
The doctor was recalled as saying: "I set up the group because I don't want the same thing to happen to anyone else that happened to me. We've tried to target people who wouldn't usually come to these support groups.
“It's a great opportunity to learn from each other and share our stories and we're also trying to have a bit of fun as well. So many women just don't know about the support on offer and are living through cancer poverty”.
For her it’s a matter that’s very close to her heart, with her losing her mother to advanced breast cancer and her twin sister also dying of breast cancer. Dr. Rose herself was a two times survivor of the disease.
"I got involved because I'm going through chemotherapy and I was meeting women who didn't have the support that I knew they should do,” she said at the time. "I'm meeting women who are going home to their children and having to pretend that nothing is happening and that everything is normal," she went on.
From 2003 to 2007, she was the BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) cancer information specialist at Cancerbackup, (Europe’s leading cancer information charity) since its merge with Macmillan Cancer Support.
Friend and fellow-radiographer, Alison Hewitt, recalls her life and times with Rose: “When I first met Rose, in 2008, we found that we had a lot in common including mutual friends in Nottingham, radiology, Jamaican heritage and academic networking.
“She shared her campaign to reduce the breast screening age to below 50 with me and I received my first letter aged 47. Carrying my son with, I attended her 60th birthday party and when he lost a toy there, Rose replaced it with some gifts from Hamleys.
“I kept encouraging her to write a book about her life. She's gone now because her work is done, but she has passed on several batons to women, cancer patients and campaigners, Jamaicans and her close-knit family members and friends.
“I will miss her dearly!”
The event is a chance for people to get together and celebrate a life well lived, and to support the incredible legacy of care and support that Dr. Rose Thompson fostered with her B’Me Against Cancer charity.
Featuring a range of tributes from family, friends and former colleagues, there will be a special announcement regarding how B’Me Against Cancer plans to carry on the legacy with people being invited to be part of this very special and long-awaited occasion in honour of Rose Thompson. All ticket donations made for this event will go towards the continuation of the important work of Rose's beloved charity, B'Me Against Cancer (recommended ticket donation: £5).
