Nicole helps fight cancer on-line

Nicole Hankes kicks of “My Project”.

A BRAVE Chadderton youngster who is successfully fighting leukaemia is to kickstart a national fund-raising campaign for Cancer Research UK.

Nicole Hankes (12) has given a big thumbs up to MyProjects — a new on-line service which gives users the chance to choose a specific cancer research project.

The site — at www.cancerresearch uk.org/myprojects — also lets them know how their money is helping.

Nicole, a pupil at North Chadderton School, started to feel poorly in the autumn of 2007. Hospital tests revealed she had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). She started a course of chemotherapy, spent 12 weeks in hospital and will have monthly treatments throughout 2009.

Pleased

As ambassador for MyProjects, Nicole visited the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research in Withington where she met Professor Vaskar Saha who is investigating ALL — the most common type of childhood cancer.

He said: “We are committed to improving survival rates for every child like Nicole.

“Improvements in treatment for children with cancer have been impressive — fewer than three out of 10 children with cancer survived the disease in the 1960s, that figure is now more than seven out of 10.”

Nicole added: “I’m pleased that people from all over the country will be able to read about me and what I’ve been through. I hope it will help them. It’s exciting that so much work is being done.”

It is hoped £422,000 will be raised to help Professor Saha continue his research for another year.