Banbury nurse's special '˜thank you' boosts Horton cancer care

Dayle Kinch was inspired by her experience as a nurse for 30 years and her own cancer treatment to raise enough money for two cooling caps for the Brodey Cancer Centre.

The 57-year-old’s family across the country helped with a variety of fundraising events, including a 28-strong group attempt at the Three Peaks Challenge last year.

The ‘Brodey Bunch’ celebrated as the caps, which cool the scalp during chemotherapy and minimise hair loss, were delivered to the hospital last Friday, February 23.

Dayle said: “Having worked in the hospitals I’ve always been very aware how upset many patients get when they lose their hair, and it was something I also really worried about.

“I think it’s because the hair loss – particularly of eyebrows and eyelashes – marks you out so clearly as a cancer patient, which means people immediately start treating you differently.

“It might seem trivial when you’re facing all the other fears that come with cancer – but it’s not – it’s about losing your identity really, being a blank face that you don’t recognise anymore.

“So I am so thrilled that we’ve raised enough money for two cooling caps – they are something tangible and practical that will benefit hundreds of local people in the years to come.”

Brodey Cancer Centre sister Lisa Ashton said the team were overwhelmed by the support and knows the caps will mean so much to patients.

“Dayle is a nurse, a colleague and a friend and we are all truly humbled by this generous act that will help so many families for years to come. The words ‘thank you’ just don’t seem enough,” she said.

Dayle, who works as a clinical nurse specialist at the Horton, was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago and has been having treatment at the Brodey Cancer Centre and at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.

The Banbury centre already has a number of cooling caps but the additional two means the nurses can be more flexible with patients’ treatment.

Dayle said her treatment had been ‘special’ throughout and thanked everyone who had helped her.

“The team at the Brodey Centre are so incredibly friendly and caring, yet professional throughout – so I really wanted to thank everyone involved and fundraising seemed like a good way to do this,” she said.

“I am fortunate to have the most wonderful family and friends and they embraced the idea and we set ourselves the ambitious target of raising £20,000. The support and generosity I’ve had from my parents, my family, friends and the local community has been fantastic.

“It’s hard to put into words what it means but I am so incredibly grateful for what they’ve all done and so proud of what we’ve achieved. Knowing they were doing it for me has meant the world.”

To continue to support Dayle’s fundraising efforts, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/thebrodeybunch or call Oxford Hospitals Charity on 01865 743444.