A grandmother who has been forced to sell her house to fund cancer treatment says Life Leisure’s GP referral scheme has been an unexpected lifeline.
Sharon Goddard, 68, from Marple, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in March 2023.
She and her husband Steve are in the process of selling their home to fund specialist treatment in the UK and Germany, but she says the membership with Life Leisure in Stockport, funded through the Physical Activity Referral in Stockport (PARiS) scheme, has been a ‘godsend’ in helping her manage the debilitating disease.
She said: “The PARiS scheme has been an absolute godsend. I don’t think of myself dying of cancer, I’m living with it, and this scheme and the support I’ve received from Life Leisure has been fantastic at helping me do that.
“It lifts me up mentally, there are people here who I now genuinely consider my friends. The staff at Stockport Sports Village are always friendly, helpful and welcoming. I look around and see other people who are also struggling. We lift each other up. The equipment is first rate and there is even an infra-red sauna, which is especially helpful to people with cancer.
“Physically I feel better for going. I’m not lifting heavy weights or running on a treadmill, but under the guidance of my instructor Dave it’s really making a difference. He even gave me some exercises to do at home as well.
“It really is a lifeline. Dave is very supportive and encourages me. I’ve done a lot of research and believe building up muscle can really help me live with this cancer longer. This is all about getting my life back and Life Leisure is helping me do that.”
The PARiS scheme is a partnership between Life Leisure and Stockport GPs who refer patients for a programme of physical rehabilitation. Patients benefit from a reduced membership and classes with qualified instructors who adapt their sessions according to the participants’ abilities. Sharon attends the PARiS gym sessions at Stockport Sports Village in Woodley after being referred by her GP.
Dave McGlinchy, who is a Specialist Physical Activity Coordinator at Life Leisure, said: “I love working with all my clients on the PARiS scheme. I’ve met so many people with varying levels of medical conditions.
“Any help I can provide to them in becoming fitter, stronger and better able to navigate life is extremely rewarding.”
Sharon, who is a grandmother of five with a sixth on the way, is receiving care at The Christie in Manchester, but has reached the limits of what conventional treatments under the NHS can offer and has chosen to explore alternative treatments here and in Europe. The sale of her eco home – which she built with husband Steve for their retirement – along with donations through a Go Fund Me page set up by her son Christopher, have helped ease the financial burden.
Retired teacher Sharon, who taught English and Drama at several high schools in and around Manchester said: “I could never have afforded a gym membership but it’s doing me the world of good and I wouldn’t want to be without it now. I would recommend it to anyone who is struggling to manage their illness and would benefit from moving more. I think about what it has done for me, but the people on the scheme I’ve met are all inspirational with their own stories too.”
Sharon was diagnosed with suspected Ovarian cancer in March 2023 by her GP.
She said: “My treatment began with three gruelling rounds of chemotherapy followed by major abdominal surgery in July, followed by more chemotherapy. The chemo treatment at The Christie was so debilitating it left me with bad side-effects, both mentally and physically. I just couldn’t have done it again. So, we decided to put everything we had into getting targeted chemotherapy in Germany which is also very tough but unlike the NHS treatment only targets the tumours themselves and not the whole body.”
The Go Fund Me page has helped support the cost of Sharon’s treatment, which has also included intravenous vitamin C therapy and hiring a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, which has been particularly helpful in managing the symptoms.
Sharon added: “It feels like it’s working for me, but it’s all very expensive, that’s why Christoper set up the Go Fund Me account. I know there are people much worse off than me but people wanted to help, and it’s what I’ve had to do to survive. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to all the people who have supported me, even people at the gym who have put money into my fund. It makes a huge difference towards giving me quality of life.”
If you would like to support Sharon, go to https://gofund.me/87c29c8f
For more about Life Leisure’s PARiS scheme go to lifeleisure.net/exercise-referral
