Peterborough cancer survivor thanks charity with marathon run
A cancer survivor has signed up for this year's London Marathon in aid of the charity that supported her journey.In 2020, Clare Ford was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after finding a lump in her neck.The 55-year-old, who works at the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust (NWAFT) which runs Peterborough City Hospital, is now in remission and described her treatment as a "tough time".Since her diagnosis, husband Brendan Ford and son Michael Ford have raised £11,300.
Ms Ford, from Grantham in Lincolnshire, is raising money for Lymphoma Action, which is believed to be the fifth most common cancer.Talking about her cancer journey, Ms Ford said: "It came as a complete shock."The whole experience was made even worse as I went through my treatment during Covid, which meant I was unable to have anyone with me for support."It was a very tough time."She said she would be "forever grateful" to the charity.
Her husband and son have run the London Marathon over the last couple of years.She said she was inspired by her son, who ran 999 miles (1,608km) from John O' Groats in Scotland to Lands' End in Cornwall, via the three peaks, in 19 days.Ms Ford is part of Grantham Running Club and first ran the marathon in 2014."The training so far has been challenging, particularly in the recent spell of cold weather, but I have been spurred on and motivated by wonderful family and friends," Ms Ford said.
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BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
'Life, amidst death, has to continue': Molly Jong-Fast on her new book and watching her mother fade away
BBC Special Correspondent Katty Kay chats with author Molly Jong-Fast about her memoir, How to Lose Your Mother, which tackles the life, legacy, and decline of her mother, Erica Jong. The death of a mother or father is one of the things we don't talk about much in modern life, maybe because it scares us. But it's a universal reality. Nearly all of us will go through it at some point. Molly Jong-Fast is a political commentator and writer for Vanity Fair who has just written a new memoir, How to Lose Your Mother. The book is Jong-Fast's account of her mother and feminist author Erica Jong's descent into dementia, which began the same year that Jong-Fast's husband, professor Matthew Adlai Greenfield, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. The book is an honest, emotional and at times funny account of how Jong-Fast got through that horrible time. Not only was she handling her mother's cognitive decline, Jong-Fast's stepfather was diagnosed with Parkinson's, the world was dealing with Covid and everyone in her orbit was under one roof, including an elderly dog with his own health problems. These are heavy topics, but we found moments of laughter, too, emblematic of Jong-Fast's style. In her memoir, the author explores lying to her children about their father's health, referring to a growth on his pancreas as a "mass", because, "a 'mass' could be anything – a group of people, a group of blood vessels, a group of cockapoos meeting in Central Park for a cockapoo meetup". I really enjoyed this conversation. Her lessons about handling loss and grief, facing the legacy of her mother's fame and the difficult decisions that come with ageing parents are things I think we can all learn from. Watch (or read) more of our discussion below. Below is an excerpt from our conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity. Katty Kay: When my mum died, I remember thinking that I've had training up the wazoo for everything in my life, but nobody's given me the guidebook for this. Nobody's said, as your parents get older, they're going to need their diapers changed or that you're going to need to think about the money – let alone anybody helping you with all of the emotions. I'm so glad you wrote this book to help people, but why is it that we've gotten to this position where something that almost everybody goes through, we're left kind of clueless when it comes to it? Molly Jong-Fast: I think there's a lot of shame about getting older. It's why I talk about being sober all the time; I want to destigmatise alcoholism and that's how I feel about this to a certain extent. People don't want to talk about it. People don't want to get older. It's really scary. It only goes one direction and you can't get off. You don't get to skip birthdays. It's just this endless march towards death and nobody knows what happens after you die. What I think was so interesting about this whole experience was that it gets you into this conversation of: Why are we here? What is the point of all of this? Why are we on this planet and what should we be trying to grab from this human experience before it's too late? KK: Having now gone through the last few years and written this book, do you feel like you have lessons to impart? MJF: Because I got sober at 19, I saw the incredible benefit of being able to look at my experience and show it to other people. I got that if you can go through something and share that experience with someone else, they can be helped by it. It's almost Jungian; there's a collective suffering that can be shared and lessened. The thing that I always try to say, especially with my kids, is to not feel bad about stuff. The rest of the world can make you feel bad, OK? But don't make yourself feel bad about things. The other thing I say to people is to just do the best you can. This is not going to look the way you want it to look. Maybe it will! And that's great, too. But just because things don't look the way you want them to doesn't mean it's not the way it's supposed to look. KK: I think some people looking at what you went through would think 'I couldn't bear that.' But you have lovely moments in the book where you write about taking the kids on spring break because it's spring break. And you have to buy groceries and you have to pick them up from college. And that life – amidst death – has to continue. MJF: There's this funny moment, I don't know if this made it into the book, but my husband and I had this thing where his father died and then, two weeks later, my stepfather's sister died – and we were at the same, very small funeral home in Connecticut. And the people who own the funeral home come up to us and they're like [makes a shocked face]. We saw that it was very dark – it was not a great year – but we saw the humour in it. I do think the wonderful thing – and I think you see this in much worse stories of people who are in camps or the stories of people who are in wars – is that your focus becomes very narrow and everything becomes a binary. You either can do this or you can do that. And there's something very clarifying about the binary, which I don't think is a bad thing. KK: You start in the book by saying you have this incredibly intense relationship with your mother and you're part of her and she's part of you. But it becomes pretty clear that the relationship is complicated and not as close as you had wanted it to be and that your mother had incredibly narcissistic tendencies when you were growing up. I think that, for so many people who go through this process, that makes what you have written even more important, because so many people don't have that loving, easy relationship with their parents, and when that moment comes they feel a terrible sense of guilt. MJF: I would guess that, on average, people have worse relationships with their parents than we think they do. Our generation is just going through this period with these parents who we're losing and there is a sense when I talk to these people that they feel guilty. They're sort of stuck and feeling bad. And I definitely felt guilty. I put this in the book, but my husband's shrink says, 'Sometimes, when you have narcissistic parents, you feel worse that it didn't work out.' KK: What did you feel guilty about when your mother started to get dementia and you made the decision to move her into a home? MJF: In my ideal world, my mother would not be an alcoholic and I would move her into my house and she'd be painting and writing poetry and maybe [be] a little dotty. But she'd live in my house. So, I felt very bad. It was not how I wanted it to go. But I also felt that my feeling bad was a useful thing for people to see. I'm not just doing this because I'm an exhibitionist. I'm doing it because I really do think that when you have a relationship that isn't what you want and then you suffer from it, you don't have to. And I'm saying, 'I did it and you don't have to,' is sort of the goal. –-
NBC News
3 hours ago
- NBC News
U.S.-born Asian Americans no longer the healthiest group among older adults
For the first time in two decades, older Asian Americans are no longer the healthiest U.S.-born aging racial group with the lowest rates of disability, according to a study published last month in the Journals of Gerontology. The report focused on adults aged 50 and older, and used disability prevalence as an indicator for overall health. The paper shows that while disability rates have decreased among aging adults in every racial group, it's remained unchanged among U.S.-born Asian Americans. The findings suggest that one contributor to the stagnating disability rate is income inequality, which has impacted Asian Americans more than any other group in recent years. Previous research had shown that both foreign-born and U.S.-born Asian older adults had lower mortality and disability rates than their counterparts in other racial groups. According to the new report, non-Hispanic white Americans have overtaken Asians Americans as the healthiest U.S.-born population, with the lowest disability prevalence. 'This study shows that the 'model minority' stereotype is wrong about the overall experience of U.S.-born older Asians in terms of health,' said lead author Leafia Ye, an assistant sociology professor at the University of Toronto. The report is the first to focus solely on the health of U.S.-born Asians, a group that experts say has been understudied due to its limited population size. The study drew on data from the American Community Survey, which has a sample size of more than 18 million U.S.-born adults aged 50 and older. The sample size for U.S.-born Asians is roughly 116,000, Ye said. The study authors defined disability as any chronic physical or mental health condition that limits an older adult's self-care or independent living capacity, which includes carrying out tasks like eating, bathing and grocery-shopping without assistance. Two decades ago, just 5.5% of U.S.-born Asian elders had trouble living independently — compared with 7% of white and 14% of Black elders. From 2005 to 2022, the report found, disability rates fell by at least 2% among U.S.-born non-Hispanic white, Black, Hispanic and Indigenous populations, as well as all foreign-born groups. (Black older adults experienced the largest drop from 14% to 10%.) Among native-born older Asian Americans, however, the rate has stayed at 5.5%. Ye said the trends preceded the Covid-19 pandemic, so it's unlikely that rising anti-Asian racism was a key risk factor. 'What's striking about this study is that U.S.-born Asians are the only group that hasn't experienced improved outcomes,' said Mansha Mirza, principal investigator at the Aging Services Inclusive of Asian American Networks, a national technical assistance and resource development center focused on Asian Americans older adults. Mirza was not involved with the new study. The trend could be attributed to the fact that U.S.-born Asians 'are more assimilated into the American way of life,' Mirza said, while foreign-born Asians were more likely to 'retain practices from their home countries related to nutrition and diet.' Disability prevalence varies across the racial group. Cognitive disability is more prevalent in Vietnamese, Filipino and Japanese older adults, according to a 2024 paper in Innovation in Aging. For self-care disability, on the other hand, Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino and Indian older adults have a higher prevalence. In the past, older Asian Americans have had better health outcomes than other groups because the large majority were foreign-born, Ye said. People with poorer health and lower socioeconomic status were less likely to resettle in another country, she said, so Asian immigrants became a 'very positively selected' group that's 'healthier and more successful economically compared with both the source and the destination populations.' By contrast, Ye said, U.S.-born Asians were immediately exposed to the country's cultural and political realities. Socioeconomic status has a particularly strong influence on health outcomes, as college-educated older Asian Americans saw a slight decline in disability, while those without a degree saw an increase. While the data didn't contain mental health measures, like loneliness and anxiety, Ye said it's possible that these conditions could have also contributed to stagnating health outcomes. 'In a way,' Ye said, 'U.S.-born Asians are both less selected and more exposed throughout their lifetime.' Mirza said a point of further study could be desegregated research on the impact of migration history on health outcomes. First-generation Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees, for example, survived war, famine and genocide. Research has shown that exposure to these adverse conditions could contribute to 'altered diets and physiological capacity' in their U.S.-born children, who are now advancing in age, Mirza said. Mirza also emphasized a need to study the impact of social isolation on Asian seniors, which she said is gradually emerging as a social determinant of health as much as smoking and alcohol use. 'We need to see what social isolation looks like for foreign-born Asians Americans and U.S.-born Asians Americans,' she said, 'and the extent to which social ties are preserved within these groups.'
Daily Record
6 hours ago
- Daily Record
'Inspiring' hospital chaplain dies as tributes paid to 'passionate and compassionate' woman
Reverend Captain Katie Watson has been described as a "unique, inspiring, passionate and compassionate" person who had touched thousands of lives. A popular hospital chaplain died just a month after being discharged from an inpatient mental health ward where she had been "treading water" for months, an inquest heard. Reverend Captain Katie Watson has been described by her partner Dr Emily Watson as a "unique, inspiring, passionate and compassionate" person who had touched thousands of lives. Capt Watson, who was an ordained deacon, appeared in the Channel 4 documentary Geordie Hospital and through her work at the RVI and the Freeman Hospitals she had become a much-loved local figure before her death on September 20 last year. The show, which highlighted work at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary and Freeman Hospital during the later periods of the Covid-19 pandemic, featured her on the wards supporting colleagues and patients, along with welfare dogs Poppy Jingles and Fern. As reported by the Chronicle, acting senior coroner Karin Welsh heard at the inquest how Rev'd Capt Watson's mental health had worsened through 2023 and she had struggled with issues including suicidal ideation. Welsh ruled In her conclusion that Rev'd Capt Watson's death was suicide. In her remarks, however, the coroner added that Rev'd Capt Watson had been absent from work due to her mental health for a period in late 2022, and then again from October 2023 - this latter absence followed a colleague's death. She had also experienced an interpersonal issue at work which contributed to her stress. Welsh also referred to how Rev'd Capt Watson had not had a named psychologist for a seven week period during her time as an inpatient- but said it would be "conjecture" to draw any firm conclusions about the impact this would have had on her discharge from hospital - or when that might have been. Another issue saw details of a discharge letter shared with Rev'd Capt Watson via the NHS App, causing her distress as elements of her "formulation" had not be discussed with her. Welsh also said she could "understand the position that Katie was treading water" when on the ward, rather than making progress with regard to her recovery. She added that issues at work had "clearly caused Katie distress" but added: "In my view these issues were managed appropriately by the trust." The coroner paid tribute to Rev'd Capt Watson, saying: "As an army captain, but then Chaplain Katie had great empathy for those she was involved with at work, where she went above and beyond." She said that "underlying issues" appeared to have come to the fore - and added: "In short, although some elements of her care could have been done differently, it's my view this would not have altered the outcome for Katie. Therefore my conclusion must be one of suicide." Acting senior coroner Welsh added that those she worked with in pathology had spoken highly of Rev'd Capt Watson - and that she was described as "exceptionally helpful" in complex and difficult cases involving the deaths of children. Following the inquest, Dr Watson paid a moving tribute. She said: "Katie was a unique, inspiring, passionate and compassionate person who touched the lives of thousands of people. I am very grateful for the many hundreds of cards and messages I received when she died, and all the stories of how her ministry supported people at some of their darkest times. It is desperately sad that she wasn't able to see for herself how loved she was, and I am sorry that mental health services in their current condition were not able to help her. She is deeply missed by us all." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The inquest earlier evidence both from the psychiatric consultants - employed by the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust - who were responsible for Rev'd Capt Watson's care in hospital and in the community. Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust joint medical director Dr Michael Wright also gave evidence as to the issues experienced at work. Dr Wright said: "It's of immense concern to me and many others that a member of staff - one of our members of staff most valued by others - clearly at times did not feel that way. We have all reflected as to whether we did all we could to make her feel valued and [to show her] quite how important she was to our organisation. Procedures and processes were followed but does that mean there isn't anything we can learn from this? Absolutely not." He agreed that Revd Capt Watson was a "huge miss" and said work was ongoing to embed an NHS England "toolkit" designed to prevent NHS staff from dying due to suicide. The inquest had heard how her "exceptionally high standards" may have put herself under significant strain, while psychiatrists also referred to her experience of trauma during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. In court, Dr Watson queried why the trauma that her partner had experienced was not considered a greater factor in her diagnostic "formulation" while an inpatient - which instead focussed on "personality traits" and "emotionally unstable personality disorder". It was an element of this diagnosis was mentioned in a letter that one of Rev'd Capt Watson's consultants had not realised would be uploaded to her NHS App - and this caused her "significant distress" in the weeks prior to her death. However, Dr Faheem Ahmad said the opinion of staff at the inpatient ward during her months-long admission had been that Capt Watson's struggles were focussed around situations at her workplace and her "anger" at those. Dr Rachael Hall spoke in court to say she had not realised this would be the case and had made an urgent effort - accepted by Rev'd Capt Watson, to speak with her, explain the situation and continue their work together. Rev'd Capt Watson's death last autumn saw huge numbers of tributes - including from the senior Church of England Bishop of Newcastle and Northumberland. Right Reverend Dr Helen-Ann Hartley and the Right Reverend Mark Wroe. They said: "It is with a profound sense of sadness and grief that we received the news about Katie, and our first thoughts are with her partner Emily and their children and all who knew and loved Katie. "From her much valued work as a hospital chaplain, which reached beyond the bounds of the North East, to her many colleagues from her past career, and the sporting and running communities she was a part of, to all of us here in the Diocese of Newcastle, we mourn her death with a deep feeling of loss."
