Latest news with #CharlotteMurray
STV News
04-05-2025
- Health
- STV News
Mum diagnosed with bowel cancer calls for screening age to be lowered to 30
A mum diagnosed with bowel cancer has issued a plea to lower the screening age from 50 to 30 amid rising cases in younger people. Bowel cancer is the fourth most common in Scotland, with someone diagnosed every 12 minutes across the UK. In November 2023, Kay Edmond learned she had stage three bowel cancer at just 41 years old after experiencing extreme fatigue and losing weight over six months. After months of uncertainty, countless GP appointments, and blood tests almost every week, it wasn't until she passed out in her home that doctors found a tumour. Currently in Scotland, screening is only offered to men and women aged between 50 and 74 years old, meaning Kay would not have been diagnosed if she hadn't pushed for tests. STV News NHS Grampian have rolled out a new bowel screening campaign 'It was never brought up that it could have been anything potentially cancerous or anything like that. They just put it down to being kind of run down or going through menopause at my age,' she told STV News. 'We were kind of fobbed off at times because of my age. We had to push to get these tests, and it took for me to pass out to get to my diagnosis. It was quite hard going.' Kay added: 'It was such a shock to us. You're young, and you don't think you'll have a diagnosis like that. That moment will probably stay with me for the rest of my life.' Since her diagnosis, Kay has undergone chemotherapy and received the all-clear. 'I'm so happy and delighted. It's been such a journey for my family. To get that result, it's such a great moment to celebrate,' she said. 'It has been two years of really hard times for us. If it's an early diagnosis and it gets treated, you can live your life again.' Health experts at NHS Grampian have reported an increase in bowel cancer screening uptake in Aberdeen, thanks to a new campaign. The health board, in partnership with cancer charity Friends of Anchor, is encouraging those least likely to come forward to get tested. As part of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, those behind the campaign stress the importance of knowing the signs of the disease. NHS Grampian is also seeking more people to take part in its screening programme, particularly targeting those in disadvantaged areas. STV News NHS Grampian's Charlotte Murray The programme offers assessments for individuals who may not have any symptoms. Charlotte Murray, a public health practitioner with NHS Grampian, explained, 'Screening is for people without symptoms. So, what we would say is anyone experiencing symptoms like having blood in their stool, a change in bowel habits lasting more than four weeks, unexplained weight loss, or severe abdominal pain, particularly after eating, please speak to your GP in that instance.' In addition to the current screening, the NHS is trialling a blood test designed to detect cancer earlier. The project aims to identify 12 of the most common and lethal cancers, including bowel cancer, with over 99% accuracy. The goal is to diagnose cancers at an early stage, potentially before they require extensive treatment or surgery. A recent YouGov survey conducted for Bowel Cancer Awareness Month revealed that a third of people in the UK are unable to identify the symptoms of bowel cancer. Kay said: 'It's so common now for people under the age of 50 to be diagnosed with bowel cancer. People generally think that bowel cancer only happens to people over 50. 'We need to push on this, and the screening level should be taken down, even to 30, to get the screenings done. It's so much more common now in younger people. People have had to fight for their diagnosis. 'You know your body – you should go to your GP if something is not right. Press and make sure you get these tests.' Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: 'The Scottish Government, along with the other UK nations, relies on advice about screening programmes from the UK National Screening Committee, an independent expert advisory group. 'The Committee does not currently recommend bowel screening for those under 50. If that advice changes, then we would of course look at it again.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Yahoo
A woman's wait to find the body of her murdered sister
"Every morning you wake up wondering will today be the day that we find her body?" This is a thought that Sinead Corrigan has been living with for more than 12 years. Her sister Charlotte Murray went missing in 2012 and her body has never been found. In 2019 her former partner Johnny Miller was convicted of her murder. In a rare interview Charlotte's sister, Sinead, has been speaking to BBC News NI. It comes as her family continues to campaign for a change in the law in murder cases where killers conceal the location of victims' bodies. The legislation - dubbed Charlotte's Law - has already been out for public consultation and there are plans to introduce it to the Northern Ireland Assembly within the next year. The proposed law outlines a series of measures that it is hoped could encourage killers to volunteer information about where victims' remains are. This includes potential reduced sentences for those who disclose the location of a victims' remains and longer prisoner sentences for those who do not. Charlotte Murray was originally from Omagh in County Tyrone. But for the final years of her life she had been living in the village of Moy with her partner at the time, Johnny Miller. He is currently serving a life sentence for her murder with a 16-year tariff imposed in 2020. Charlotte's sister told BBC News NI that not knowing where her sister's body is continues to have a profound impact on her family. "Charlotte was a strong woman, I would say she was definitely free spirited and she was a kind person," she said. "We're a big family, Charlotte was one of 11 children, it's had a huge impact on every single one of us, it has taken it's toll on everybody, it's hard to move forward when we don't even have a grave to visit." Charlotte was last seen alive in October 2012 and her family have been trying to find her ever since. There have been a number of high-profile searches for her body. Ms Corrigan said the idea for Charlotte's Law came about after her family found out about legislation in England and Wales that followed the disappearance of 22-year-old Helen McCourt in Merseyside in 1988. Her killer Ian Simms was freed from jail without disclosing the location of her remains. But now Helen's Law places a statutory obligation on the parole board to take into account an offender's non-disclosure of certain information when making a decision about their release from prison. Ms Corrigan added: "On the one hand you don't want to give the people that have hurt your loved one anything, we knew that we needed to have an incentive for offenders in some cases. "But really it's about giving the victims and their families what they need, because not knowing where you loved one is, that is something I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemy." Charlotte's family also hope any new legislation could help lead to the location of her body and are building in proposals that could be applied retrospectively to cases that have already been through the courts. Justice Minister Naomi Long said the aim is that Charlotte's Law will build upon the work of Helen's Law and help bereaved families in Northern Ireland. Speaking to BBC News NI, Ms Long said: "We know that not having a body to bury can really impact on the mental health of a family and on their ability to grieve properly. "It's something we discussed at length with bereaved families because things like reductions of tariffs of those convicted of such heinous crimes is always an extremely sensitive issue." The Justice Minister added: "With Charlotte's law we wanted to bring forward incentives at each stage, from arrest to sentencing and with that there will be a sliding scale in terms of the impact it would have on tariffs, depending on how early the information is released." "Even when they're in prison, they may have had time to think about the enormity of their situation and suddenly they have second thoughts, and they might give up that information and that could entitle them to a slight reduction in their tariff," Long added. Charlotte Murray's family have also worked closely on the campaign with relatives of Lisa Dorrian, who disappeared in 2005. Her body has also never been found. Last month on the 20th anniversary of her disappearance, for the first time police released CCTV footage which was filmed just days before Ms Dorrian's disappearance. Sinead Corrigan said it's her hope that other families will not have to endure the same experience. "It's been a long road and we've been blown away by the support from politicians and families like the Dorrians to help us raise the profile of this issue," she said. She added: "Obviously you don't want any family to be in the situation of losing a loved one to murder, but if that awful thing does happen, we hope Charlotte's Law will help in the journey to bring their loved ones home." Charlotte's Law is to be included as part of the Sentencing Bill, and is expected to have reached Stormont committee stage next year, before coming law. Killer urged to 'end cowardly silence' over body Killers who hide bodies could face longer in jail Destroying remains 'should be a separate crime'
BBC News
22-03-2025
- BBC News
Charlotte Murray: 'Not having my sister's body prolongs grief'
"Every morning you wake up wondering will today be the day that we find her body?"This is a thought that Sinead Corrigan has been living with for more than 12 sister Charlotte Murray went missing in 2012 and her body has never been 2019 her former partner Johnny Miller was convicted of her a rare interview Charlotte's sister, Sinead, has been speaking to BBC News comes as her family continues to campaign for a change in the law in murder cases where killers conceal the location of victims' bodies. The legislation - dubbed Charlotte's Law - has already been out for public consultation and there are plans to introduce it to the Northern Ireland Assembly within the next proposed law outlines a series of measures that it is hoped could encourage killers to volunteer information about where victims' remains includes potential reduced sentences for those who disclose the location of a victims' remains and longer prisoner sentences for those who do not. Charlotte's story Charlotte Murray was originally from Omagh in County for the final years of her life she had been living in the village of Moy with her partner at the time, Johnny is currently serving a life sentence for her murder with a 16-year tariff imposed in sister told BBC News NI that not knowing where her sister's body is continues to have a profound impact on her family."Charlotte was a strong woman, I would say she was definitely free spirited and she was a kind person," she said."We're a big family, Charlotte was one of 11 children, it's had a huge impact on every single one of us, it has taken it's toll on everybody, it's hard to move forward when we don't even have a grave to visit." Charlotte was last seen alive in October 2012 and her family have been trying to find her ever have been a number of high-profile searches for her Corrigan said the idea for Charlotte's Law came about after her family found out about legislation in England and Wales that followed the disappearance of 22-year-old Helen McCourt in Merseyside in killer Ian Simms was freed from jail without disclosing the location of her now Helen's Law places a statutory obligation on the parole board to take into account an offender's non-disclosure of certain information when making a decision about their release from prison. Ms Corrigan added: "On the one hand you don't want to give the people that have hurt your loved one anything, we knew that we needed to have an incentive for offenders in some cases."But really it's about giving the victims and their families what they need, because not knowing where you loved one is, that is something I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemy." 'Heinous crime' Charlotte's family also hope any new legislation could help lead to the location of her body and are building in proposals that could be applied retrospectively to cases that have already been through the Minister Naomi Long said the aim is that Charlotte's Law will build upon the work of Helen's Law and help bereaved families in Northern to BBC News NI, Ms Long said: "We know that not having a body to bury can really impact on the mental health of a family and on their ability to grieve properly."It's something we discussed at length with bereaved families because things like reductions of tariffs of those convicted of such heinous crimes is always an extremely sensitive issue."The Justice Minister added: "With Charlotte's law we wanted to bring forward incentives at each stage, from arrest to sentencing and with that there will be a sliding scale in terms of the impact it would have on tariffs, depending on how early the information is released." "Even when they're in prison, they may have had time to think about the enormity of their situation and suddenly they have second thoughts, and they might give up that information and that could entitle them to a slight reduction in their tariff," Long Murray's family have also worked closely on the campaign with relatives of Lisa Dorrian, who disappeared in body has also never been month on the 20th anniversary of her disappearance, for the first time police released CCTV footage which was filmed just days before Ms Dorrian's disappearance. Sinead Corrigan said it's her hope that other families will not have to endure the same experience."It's been a long road and we've been blown away by the support from politicians and families like the Dorrians to help us raise the profile of this issue," she added: "Obviously you don't want any family to be in the situation of losing a loved one to murder, but if that awful thing does happen, we hope Charlotte's Law will help in the journey to bring their loved ones home."Charlotte's Law is to be included as part of the Sentencing Bill, and is expected to have reached Stormont committee stage next year, before coming law.
