'I owe my life to Glasgow doctors': Cancer stories as charity turns 20

“I had childhood cancer, more than 50 years ago,” she explains. “I was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumour, a type of kidney cancer which, back in 1969, was a lot more difficult to treat. There was nothing like Maggie’s back then, either.

“My parents were told I wouldn’t survive. I owe my life to the doctors and surgeons at Stobhill Hospital and the Western Infirmary."

Grazia has been a stress and relaxation therapist at Maggie’s for almost as long as the charity has been in Glasgow, first at the Gatehouse near the now-demolished Western Infirmary, and now at Gartnavel General.

It is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and staff, volunteers and visitors have been telling their stories to the Glasgow Times in tribute to its groundbreaking work.

“It’s the best job in the world,” says Grazia, smiling.

READ MORE: Woman whose brother died of cancer pays tribute to Maggie's Glasgow as it turns 20

“Our job is to normalise cancer. We run a whole range of therapies, all evidence-based, including drop-in relaxation classes, one-to-one sessions, stress management courses ... and everything is open to friends and family members too, not just those with a cancer diagnosis.”

She adds: “At Maggie’s, all the staff feel the same. We are aligned to give the best care to people, and everyone is treated the same. Everyone is valued and supported.”

Laura Lee, chief executive of Maggie's (Image: Maggie's Glasgow)

Centre head Kerry Craig was an oncology nurse at the former Beatson cancer unit when it was located in the Western Infirmary, just up the hill from the new Maggie’s Centre.

“I remember hearing about this new way of thinking about cancer, and wondering what it was all about,” she explains. “Maggie’s was completely different, no-one quite knew what to expect and it has changed the way cancer is thought about here in Glasgow and all over the UK.

“I left the NHS because I recognised my job was more about the cancer than the person, and I wanted to do something that would help me understand the people more. What we do here, in fact.”

Kerry Craig (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest)

She adds: “Sometimes, the language surrounding cancer can be unhelpful – people talk of having to be ‘brave’, or to ‘keep fighting’ – but people don’t always feel brave. They feel angry, or sad, or in disbelief. We’re here to help normalise those responses, not to minimise them, but to support people to live well with cancer.”

READ MORE: Three city charities receive funding boost from owner of Glasgow Times

The centre offers a wealth of practical information, advice and emotional and psychological support, from therapeutic courses and nutrition advice to a benefits and financial service and bereavement support. A new course on coping with non-curative cancers and a mindfulness course are planned for later this year.

“This is not a place of sadness or tears,” she adds, with a smile. “You only have to be here for five minutes to understand that. Anyone who comes here knows Maggie’s is about making the most of living, even in dark times.

“The initial campaign by the Glasgow Times was a fantastic boost for Maggie’s. We are only here because of the people of Glasgow.”

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

MAGGIE’S cancer care charity was the vision of Maggie Keswick Jencks, who had breast cancer.

She drew up the blueprints for the original centre in Edinburgh in the months running up to her death in 1995.

Maggie’s oncology nurse Laura Lee, now chief executive of the charity, worked with Maggie’s husband, renowned architect Charles Jencks, to ensure her friend’s vision became a reality.

There are now 28 Maggie’s Centres in the UK and abroad, each with the same approach – calm, friendly "healing" architecture, a big kitchen table, and a kettle that’s always on.

Glasgow Times readers raised an incredible £1.2 million to build Glasgow’s first Maggie’s Centre at The Gatehouse on Dumbarton Road beside the now demolished Western Infirmary.

We launched our campaign in March 2001, with the target of raising £500,000.

Leukaemia survivor Stacie Carrey, then 11, became the face of our campaign, helping us raise awareness by telling her own story and winning the hearts of our readers.

JK Rowling and broadcaster and writer Kirsty Wark were big supporters of our appeal. The Harry Potter author donated part of the proceeds from the Scottish premiere of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to the charity, and Kirsty joined in fundraising events and activities with gusto.

Stacie Carrey and Kirsty Wark celebrate work starting on the first Glasgow Maggie's Centre. (Image: Newsquest)

Readers from all over Glasgow and beyond held fundraisers to help boost our total.

By Christmas that same year, the original target of £500,000 had been passed, and by the time the centre opened its doors in 2002, more than £1.2m had been banked.

The centre moved to Gartnavel in 2011.

At the official opening of Maggie’s Gartnavel, around 180 guests enjoyed a sneak preview of the £3m building which is located close to the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre.

In 2016, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited the Glasgow centre and in 2018, the charity’s president, Her Majesty The Queen Consort, came to talk to centre visitors and ambassadors.

Maggie’s Glasgow supports between 65 and 75 visitors every day.