Press release posted 17 February 2022

A Worsley woman is celebrating being 7 years cancer free by mustering up the courage to jump out of a plane to raise money for The Christie charity. 

Janice Redshaw, 56, will be joined by her daughter Beth, 24, when she takes part in the skydive near Lancaster on April 3. 

In 2015, Janice was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after discovering a small lump in her abdomen. After being referred to The Christie, Janice underwent surgery to remove the cancer followed by a course of chemotherapy. 

Janice, who is also mum to Craig and grandmother to twins, Harry and Evie (12), is now looking forward to the daring challenge of parachuting out of a plane in tribute to the care she received and the support she has been given. 

Janice, who lives with her husband Mark, said: “I feel lucky that I am here to be able to take part in the skydive and to do it with Beth will be amazing.
“Taking part in the skydive it is a way of being able to give back to those who helped me and will continue to help others in the future.
“I am 7 years cancer free and counting but I will never forget what an emotional rollercoaster it was, and I want to do this for everybody who helped me through it. My GP surgery, The Christie, my very loving family and my dear friends, who all supported me.
“I’m a bit nervous about doing a skydive but when you’ve been through cancer you’ve already done the scary part - so why not.” 

Liz Williams from The Christie charity said: “The skydive is definitely not an event for the faint hearted but Janice and Beth have clearly got the mettle needed for such a daring feat and we cannot wait to greet them when they land back on terra firma.
“It is lovely to see Janice celebrating such a milestone and we are really looking forward to welcoming her, Beth and the other daredevils taking to the skies for us in April.” 

The Christie charity supports the work of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust providing enhanced services over and above what the NHS funds. This includes money for care and treatment, research, education and extra patient services. Gifts from the public make a huge difference to the care and treatment that The Christie is able to provide to patients and their families. 

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust was the first specialist trust to be rated as ‘Outstanding’ twice (in 2016 and 2018) by the health regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC). It referred to The Christie as ‘a leader in cancer care’ and ‘a pioneer in developing innovative solutions to cancer care.’ The CQC praised the Trust’s staff which it said ‘go the extra mile to meet the needs of patients and their families’ and that they were ‘exceptionally kind and caring.’ In 2017, the CQC rated The Christie as the best specialist trust in the country, and one of the top three trusts overall in England.  

To find out more about how you can fundraise for The Christie and to see what other events they have lined up this year, please visit our Fundraise section of the website.