John Luke, Christie patient

When John Luke was diagnosed with prostate cancer back in 2015, it came as a shock. Having recently retired from a long career in social services, John and his wife Annie were looking forward to retirement.

John knew he wanted to receive the best treatment for his cancer possible. That meant travelling from his Buxton home to The Christie in south Manchester for radiotherapy and hormone therapy.

After being referred to The Christie, John started his treatment plan. This was 4 weeks of daily sessions, with a round trip from Buxton taking up to 3 hours.

John was remarkably cheerful, but the travel took its toll. His family took turns to chauffeur him and as the side effects increased, the journey became more uncomfortable and tiring for him.

Being able to go to Macclesfield would have reduced the travel time considerably. By building a new cancer centre in Macclesfield, we can help make such a difficult time for patients run as smoothly as possible.

Thankfully, John is now cancer free. He’s very positive about the care he received at The Christie but admits the journey length was difficult for him.

John is in support of The Christie charity’s plans to help fund the build of The Christie at Macclesfield. For some Christie patients in East Cheshire, this will mean outstanding cancer care, closer to home – something John backs fully.

“The Christie is remarkable – just the ultimate in care. But the travel time could be anything up to an hour and a half.
“This marvellous facility in Macclesfield is going to make it so much easier to get treatment. You might need it yourself one day.”

        - John, Christie patient