Learning that you have a form of cancer is a difficult experience for anyone. However, for those who are faced with mouth and oropharyngeal cancer, it can be a particularly tough challenge to overcome.
Mouth and oropharyngeal cancer and its treatment can cause physical changes in your body. These changes can be difficult to cope with and it may affect the way you feel about yourself, often leading to a deterioration in mental health and wellbeing.
The Electrical Industries Charity (EIC) is calling on industry members to get together and show their support for colleagues in need by signing up to powerLottery for as little as £1 per month. powerLottery is EIC’s number one fundraising stream and helps the Charity to provide employees and their immediate family members with support services, including financial grants and assistance, telephone and face to face counselling, legal advice and practical support through its Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
What’s more, your £1 donation to powerLottery every month will not only give you the opportunity to help hundreds of people within the electrical sector, but it also allows you to win one of 40 cash prizes each month, ranging from £50 to £10,000.
Additionally, EIC has recently teamed up with multiple UK charities to ensure that every person within the electrical sector who has been affected by any form of cancer is not suffering in isolation and getting the support they need to embark on their road to recovery.
One of many examples where EIC was able to step in and offer their support is Howard Field, who was referred by Macmillan Cancer Support after struggling to cope following a devastating mouth and throat cancer diagnosis. Howard developed cancer of the throat and mouth in 2014, which resulted in the removal of his teeth and the partial removal of his jaw and tongue. Since his life-changing diagnosis, he underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy and developed gout as a result of this treatment.
A year later, the cancer returned, and Howard underwent a further operation to remove more of his jaw. He has since been having MRI scans every six months to ensure the cancer has been kept at bay. Due to his condition, Howard can only eat pureed food and his cancer nurse specialist recommended he eats three meals a day from Wiltshire Farm Foods. However, each meal costs £5, and he could only afford one per day.
On top of his distressing illness, in 2017, Howard had an infestation of scabies mite in his rented apartment, which resulted in him losing all of his belongings including his bed, mattress and all of his clothing and left him sleeping on an airbed.
Howard contacted EIC for assistance to help him to improve his quality of life by replacing the essential items that were lost. He also applied for a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to help with daily living costs. EIC supported Howard by offering to purchase his food and provided him with an initial grant of £1,000 for replacing essential furniture and clothing.
Additionally, EIC also partnered with Florence Nightingale Aid in Sickness Trust (FNAIST), which pledged £500 for Howard’s new bed, and the Independence at Home (IAH) charity offered a further £200 towards his bed linen. Furthermore, the Electrical Industries Charity continues supporting Howard by providing him with £35 per week to fund his Wiltshire Farm Foods as he is still struggling to secure his PIP income. The Charity is also working with Howard to help him return to work in an adjusted capacity, potentially as a driver for an electrical wholesaler or tutoring with JTL.
Howard is excited by both prospects and is looking forward to creating a better quality of life for himself. Without supporters donating to powerLottery every month, EIC would not be able to offer that much-needed assistance and give independence to people like Howard.
If you would like to show your support, sign up to powerLottery today by downloading the EIC powerLottery to play. For more information, visit: https://www.electricalcharity.org/index.php/lottery/powerlottery
