Opens in a new tab

Real Life Stories

These stories are shared to honor those battling oesophago-gastric cancer, celebrate survivors and remember those we have lost. We hope that they reflect the diversity of people affected by Oesophago-Gastric cancers.
  • Tom Hague

    “It was so distressing and a very anxious time for me.”

    Read more Tom Hague's story
  • Helen Setterfield

    “When I was diagnosed, we were all numb.”

    Read more Helen Setterfield's story
  • *** Health Feature for Karen Ireland story *** France Hill from Carryduff talks about recovering from oesophageal cancer. Pic by Peter Morrison
    Frances Hill

    “Early detection really does save lives, I am proof of that.”

    Read more Frances Hill's story
  • Stewart Dickson

    “I was thrown in at the deep end of emotions not knowing what was going to come next.”

    Read more Stewart Dickson's story
  • Christine

    “Hope After Cancer”

    Read more Christine's story
  • Lorraine Pinkerton

    “My persistence led to me being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.”

    Read more Lorraine Pinkerton's story
  • Noeleen McMorris

    “I could so easily have ignored it and not done anything for months.”

    Read more Noeleen McMorris's story
  • Kevin

    “I was aware of the symptoms, that’s why I caught it early!”

    Read more Kevin's story
  • Leanne

    “I’m so thankful for being given a second chance. It’s been a hell of a roller coaster, but I’ve had more good days than bad days.”

    Read more Leanne's story
  • Adrian

    “I was 51 years old and I had just completed a job for the Scout association in Crawfordsburn. After this I found myself having some discomfort when eating and thought I had pushed myself too far and developed a hiatus hernia.”

    Read more Adrian's story
  • Jean Frecknall

    “Back in the summer of 2020, a routine blood test showed that I was very anaemic. Thankfully, my GP noted that I shouldn’t typically be anaemic at my stage of life and referred me for investigations.”

    Read more Jean Frecknall's story
  • Jacqui Hale

    “I had been suffering from quite a lot of heartburn towards the end of 2021. I got increasingly more uncomfortable and remember saying to my husband Andrew that I felt like something was burning a hole inside me.”

    Read more Jacqui Hale's story
  • Caroline & Paddy Ellison

    “Paddy had been suffering from acid reflux for quite some time. It wasn’t anything major but he was finding it hard to swallow some foods like bread, so we thought something mustn’t be quite right and went to get it checked out.”

    Read more Caroline & Paddy Ellison's story
  • Sean Greer

    “In 2020, I was diagnosed with oesophageal gastric junction cancer. The journey to my diagnosis was long and the symptoms I experienced weren’t initially recognisable.”

    Read more Sean Greer's story

Information for Supporters

OGCancerNI were unfortunately informed about a cyber incident involving Beacon, the third-party system that we use to help us manage our donors' and supporters' information. Beacon published its Final Cyber Security Incident Report on Thursday, 3rd September; for further information, see https://www.beaconcrm.org/incident-report.

In August OGCancerNI reported this matter to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland as a serious incident. We're sorry this happened. We want to explain what we know and what it may mean for you.

What Happened?

Beacon informed its customers that an unauthorised third party had gained access to its systems and that data held within the system may have been accessed and copied. The incident occurred within Beacon's systems, and OGCancerNI itself was not individually targeted. Beacon CRM holds 1,500 charity accounts; all have been impacted.

What information may have been involved?

This information may include your name and personal contact details, donation information and information contained in records or attachments held within our Beacon database.

Please note that we do not store any bank or payment details in Beacon, nor do we store any specific clinical information. However, we may record you as a patient or a volunteer.

What has OGCancerNI done?

The Trustees have been working to establish exactly what happened and the potential impact on the people whose information we hold.
We have reviewed the information provided by Beacon and the Charity Commission, sought independent professional advice, and reported the incident to the appropriate authorities.

We have engaged an appropriately qualified Data Protection practitioner and have assessed the potential risks and have taken immediate steps to prevent further unauthorised access.

We are also reviewing our own procedures and our continued use of Beacon.

What should you do?

We recommend you remain alert to unexpected emails, text messages or phone calls.
Do not click on unexpected links or provide personal information to anyone.

If you receive a communication claiming to be from OGCancerNI and are unsure whether it is genuine, please get in touch with us directly using our usual contact details.

At present, we are not aware of any evidence that your information has been used fraudulently.

We understand this information may be concerning. OGCancerNI take the trust placed in us very seriously, and we are very sorry that information we hold about you may have been affected.

If you have any questions or concerns about this incident or the information that OGCancerNI holds about you, please get in touch with us at [email protected] or by phone at 07568157450.

We will continue to review the situation and will provide further information if anything significant changes.

With best wishes

The Trustees
OGCancerN

Read Beacon's final incident reportClose