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Cancer victim Katie now helping others: Dream trip to Lanzarote inspired herto join team
A YOUNG woman who battled bone cancer is helping other sufferers to take a break.
Katie Brooman, 24, of Steep Lane, Sowerby, teamed up with charity Impact Young Heroes, which provides respite breaks to young patients and their families, after it sent her on a dream trip to Lanzarote with her parents Lyn and Brian.
Miss Brooman said: "When I was in hospital we used to dream about going to lie on a hot beach.
"But we couldn't afford it because holiday insurance premiums after cancer treatment are sky high.
"Then, the charity phoned us one day asking if we had passports. A month later we were on a plane."
The family stayed in the charity's villa, where support workers were on hand around the clock.
"All we had to worry about was enjoying ourselves," she said.
Her mum added: "It was a big boost to all of us and it's wonderful that Katie can give something back."
They were referred to the charity by staff at St James's Hospital, Leeds, where Miss Brooman's treatment finished last January. Her cancer is now in remission.
Kim Tetlaw, of the charity, said: "Each break costs 2,200 and we rely on donations from individuals, corporate sponsors and fund-raising events to fund them."
As well as raising money, Miss Brooman writes a monthly column, Katie's Corner, about her experience for the charity's newsletter, and hopes to raise awareness of cancer in young people.
Miss Tetlaw said: "An alarming number of cases like Katie's go undiagnosed for 12 months or more. We would encourage any young people with persistent pains to visit their doctor."
Miss Brooman suffered knee pain for three years before her diagnosis, and went through chemotherapy and surgery to replace part of her knee and thigh.
She said: "I just want to prevent anyone else having to suffer for so long."
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Tuesday 07 February 2012
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