Cancer survivor's funds appeal for St Richard's Hospital

Mrs Massey is helping her mum, June Bird, hold a series of raffles in aid of the cancer day care unit appeal at St Richard's Hospital at Chichester.

The third of the raffles, at the Kings Beach Hotel on Easter Sunday night, was the most successful yet. It raised 600 with a top prize of a giant teddy bear. The total was boosted by a 250 donation on the spot by one of the hotel's customers.

The man, who did not want to be identified, immediately put his hand in his pocket when he found out why Mrs Massey, Mrs Bird and the hotel's licensee Jane Sola, were being photographed for the Observer.

Singer/guitarist Pete Nelson, who was performing on the night, also separately chipped in 50 of his appearance money to the unit's appeal.

The previous two raffles raised 284 in all. The success of Sunday's raffle has enabled Mrs Bird to beat her initial fundraising target of 1,000 by the end of the year to help to equip the unit which is being built. She will continue with her efforts until December to raise even more money.

Former carer Mrs Massey (52), of Rose Green Road, Rose Green, said: "St Richard's has been marvellous to me. They are very busy and when you have chemotherapy you have to use the day room in Ford Ward. It's quite cramped.

"The nurses work under difficult conditions there because they have to bring in all the equipment with them.

"The new day care unit will make a big difference. Hopefully, I will not be using it. But it will be nice for future patients to go there."

She completed her treatment just before Easter. She had six courses of chemotherapy at St Richard's three weeks apart and six weeks of radiotherapy at St Mary's Hospital at Portsmouth.

She was diagnosed last July."It was a real shock," explained mother of three Mrs Massey, who also has two grandsons.

"I am the first one in my family to get breast cancer. Even the doctor was surprised. I became like a zombie after the diagnosis.

"It didn't hit me until I started to have the treatment. But the nurses at St Richard's are so good at putting you at your ease. It is like a little community there with everybody cheering each other up."

Mrs Bird began her fundraising late last year and had handed over 424 by Easter thanks to other donations.

Ms Sola was the only licensee who agreed to help her. "A lot of people who live in this area have got relatives who have had cancer," Ms Sola said.

"That's why the appeal gets a lot of support. People are very generous in giving to it."Her three-and-a-half years at the hotel, in The Parade, have seen about 10,000 raised for various good causes.