King sharing his cancer diagnosis ‘has helped men open up', says BEM recipient

Independent

14 hours ago

A woman who has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her work with the cancer charity she co-founded after her twin brother died of the illness has said the King being open about his diagnosis 'has been really good for men'.
Jenna Speirs, and her parents Caroline and Duncan Speirs, have each been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for the work they have done with the charity they started after Jenna's twin brother Calum died of cancer aged 12.
It is the first time three family members have been named in the same honours list.
The trio, from the Isle of Bute, started the charity Calum's Cabin after Calum, who had an inoperable brain tumour, died.
On being named in the King's Birthday Honours, Jenna, a therapeutic radiographer, said Charles sharing his cancer diagnosis has helped men open up.
'Him being so open about his cancer journey has been really good for men in particular,' Jenna said.
'You see a lot of men sitting alone in the waiting rooms, but now they are chatting more.'
During his time in hospital before his death in 2007, Calum told his sister Jenna, now 30, he wanted to start something called 'Calum's Caravan' for children with cancer to spend time away with their families.
'We were very fortunate growing up going on holidays and living on the Isle of Bute, but lots of children in hospital never got to see the outdoors or the sea,' Jenna said.
'It was his idea. He wanted people to be able to take time away.'
The Speirs family had planned to start the charity when he recovered from his illness.
'Unfortunately, that wasn't to be,' Jenna said. 'So we started fundraising at his funeral.'
Two years later, Calum's Cabin had acquired its first holiday home for families of children being treated for cancer in Scotland to use.
Since then, thousands of families have been helped by the charity, which now has several holiday homes as well as flats in Glasgow for hospital patients and their families to stay in if they live further afield.
Caroline, 59, Duncan, 63, and Jenna said receiving the medals was 'very special' and dedicated them to Calum.
Jenna paid tribute to her brother, saying: 'Calum was the funniest person you'd ever meet. He liked joking with the nurses and he was extremely caring.
'This is not for the three of us,' Caroline said. 'It's for the four of us.'