Bev’s home therapy is a great comfort

OLDHAM Cancer Support Centre has grown from strength to strength since if began as a germ of an idea in the mind of leukaemia victim Chris Hoyle.

He surrounded himself with a band of willing volunteers and one of them, therapist Beverley Heap, is now helping the centre celebrate the start of its third year by offering a home service. She told reporter Marina Berry about it.


Beverley Heap offered her services to Oldham Cancer Support Centre because she wanted to make a difference.

She lost her best friend, Catherine Hanson, to cancer four years ago, and used her therapy skills to help her friend through her final months.

She treated Catherine in her own home when she was too poorly to go out, and the humbling experience prompted Beverley to want to offer the same kind of help to others.

She volunteered to carry out treatments such as aromatherapy, reflexology, reiki and Indian head massage for the cancer support centre at its base in Failsworth Primary Care Resource Centre.

And now she is ready to go out to the homes of existing clients who are unable to make the journey out.

She tried her idea out on Jaynie Huxley.

The 46-year-old, who lives in Greenfield, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001, since when she has raised many hundreds of pounds for cancer charities.

She said: “The first time I met Bev was when she came to my home.

“I was having chemotherapy, and that morning I felt so nauseous there was no way I could have got out of bed, showered and dressed, and gone to Failsworth.

“I felt so ill I didn’t know if I could cope with a treatment at all and considered cancelling, but I decided against it and Bev came.”

Jaynie recalled: “This wonderful, vibrant woman whirled into my living room. I made her a coffee and within no time at all we began chatting about all sorts of things.”

Bev brushed off Jaynie’s thoughts about cancelling, saying she saw people who felt unwell, sleepy or fed up and they were not reasons to cancel.

“I chose to have reflexology and it was so relaxing. I felt very comfortable and I began to enjoy it,” said Jaynie.

“It was lovely afterwards, my nausea had disappeared, I didn’t have to put my wig and make-up back on, or get dressed and go out and face people in reception, I could just lie back and fall asleep.

“My lounge still smelled of aromatherapy oils and it improved my overall feeling of well-being. It was wonderful.”

Jaynie, who has an unparalleled determination to celebrate life and live it to the full, feels well at the moment, and travels to the Failsworth support centre to have treatment with Beverley.

She said: “It was a privilege to be the first person to have a home treatment from her.

“There is nothing to feel embarrassed about, and it made me confident enough to want to do it again.”

From Beverley’s point of view, she said it was a privilege for her to be able to give some comfort to people who are very poorly.

She said: “Jaynie sent me a text afterwards and I still remember the words. She said thank-you so much for coming, she had slept really well, and had gone out with her husband Mark and had a lovely day.

“Words can’t explain how good that made me feel.”

Jaynie explained: “When you are in pain you tense up and make the pain worse.

“When you relax, as I did that day with Bev, you do get pain relief.

“It’s also nice to have someone come into your home to talk to. When you are feeling unwell having a treatment can make you very emotional.

“It’s ok to cry in your own home. You don’t have to walk out where there are other people if you are not feeling up to it.

“And it’s reassuring to know that when I have chemotherapy again and I’m not well enough to go to the centre, Bev will treat me in my own home.”

Beverley offers home treatments to people who use the support centre only, purely because she has no time to fit any more in.

She is planning to get a helper, but as therapists work as unpaid volunteers there is a limit to how much time people can spare.

She said: “No-one else offers treatment at home for people who have cancer like we do, and there is definitely a need for it.”

Jaynie explained: “You can get relaxation treatments at a beauty therapy centre, but Bev has been trained at the Christie Hospital specifically for cancer patients, and that gave me reassurance and the confidence to have a treatment.

Support centre founder Chris sees Beverley’s home treatment service as another valuable step towards helping local people who are seriously ill.

He said Jaynie’s response had prompted the mobile service to start, saying: “Cancer is a very unpredictable illness, and she took us by the scruff of the neck and said we needed to get on with it.”

He applauded Jaynie’s selfless attitude in continuing to organise fundraising events to help to fund it.

She has so far brought in around £1,000 for the centre, besides money raised for Link4Pink, which supports Oldham’s Victoria breastcare unit.

She said: “Time is so precious that I believe people who are prepared to volunteer their time for the benefit of others, like Beverley, are incredible.

“If I can find some way to support that then I will. I am surrounded by some very loving family, friends and neighbours, who are all inspired to help and are very generous.”