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Apology
Need to raise awareness of mouth cancer
• I AM writing to rectify some inaccuracies in last week’s New Journal. Under the health section an article was featured relating to the loss of my husband following his battle with mouth cancer (‘Symptoms are well advanced long before anyone realises’, June 5).
I would like to make it clear that I agreed to this article in order to increase awareness of mouth cancer and highlight the good work of The Mouth Cancer Foundation.
Firstly, Steve did not die at the Whittington Hospital as the article suggests, he was in fact treated at UCH and regrettably passed away there. I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank the doctors and nurses who cared for Steve at the UCH.
Secondly, I will be participating in this year’s Mouth Cancer Foundation walk with Steve’s three children, grandchildren and my daughter, along with Steve’s sister, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends, we will be walking as a team – Team Olly. The article alluded that I have three children and would only be participating with one of them.
Thirdly, Steve and I were together for 11 years and married in 2007, we were not married for 11 years as the article stated.
Fourthly, there were two errors in the article relating to Steve’s diagnosis and treatment. The wording of the article gave the reader the impression that Steve was told that he had cancer by his dentist. In fact after visiting his GP he was sent for a biopsy, after which Steve was diagnosed with cancer.
Also the article claimed that Steve was due to undergo an operation following an intensive course of radiotherapy, an operation was not scheduled.
We had hoped that the radiotherapy would shrink the tumour enough and an operation to remove the tumour would be possible but sadly this was not the case.
If anyone would like to make a donation to the Mouth Cancer Foundation or sponsor Team Olly, donations can be made at; www.justgiving.com/ stevehollingsworth
Audrey Hollingsworth
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