Poet laureate Simon Armitage pens poem inspired by Wakefield cancer survivor
The UK’s poet laureate has written a poem inspired by a woman from Wakefield to mark Yorkshire Cancer Research’s centenary.
Simon Armitage penned the new poem called The Campaign for World Cancer Day after speaking to 17 people diagnosed with cancer about their experience.
Among the group was Sara Williamson, from Horbury, who has been living with breast cancer for the last 10 years.
Her initial chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment were put on hold after she experienced heart failure twice.
She then joined a cancer rehabilitation programme funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research which ran free exercise sessions for people with cancer.
The 56-year-old said: “I firmly believe I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for the exercise treatment and how it improved my physical and mental health.
"My cancer treatment caused me to completely lose the ability to move. I couldn’t even dress or feed myself. The programme really helped me get myself moving and walking again.”
The campaign pays tribute to a century of progress in cancer prevention, early diagnosis and treatment, while highlighting the work still needed to create a future free from cancer.
Talking about his motivation behind the poem, Simon said: “I ran with the idea of cancer as an ‘enemy’ that must be tackled through ingenuity, decades of research and painstaking discovery.
"Cancer is also a dragon in the mind, demanding a certain bloody-mindedness – a true Yorkshire characteristic – to overcome this shadow and threat to our daily lives.”
Sara has hosted countless fundraisers for life-saving cancer research in Wakefield and across the county.
After meeting Sara and others affected by cancer across Yorkshire, Simon said: “It was saddening to hear experiences of illness and bereavement. I felt very moved by their experiences.
"It was also a privilege to listen to testimonies of determination, resilience and hope, and to learn about how Yorkshire Cancer Research has given people a positive focus in their lives.”
Every 17 minutes, someone in Yorkshire is told they have cancer.
Yorkshire Cancer Research funds £75 million of pioneering research and services, including 26 clinical trials, to find new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.
The poem is available at ycr.org.uk/TheCampaign.