Tomorrow it will be three years since we lost our darling Jess. It was the day we realised the unimaginable can and does happen. Our lives, since 20.12.20, have changed irrevocably. Quite simply, we are not the same people. We never imagined we would become campaigners for early cancer diagnosis, but here we are.
Recently, despite your phenomenal support, progress has stalled. This petition is addressed to Victoria Atkins, the Secretary of State for Health. She has been in office for five weeks and, unlike Steve Barclay, we have not heard from her.
Please may I ask you to write to your MP before the New Year, requesting Victoria Atkins respond to this petition and take positive action?
If you use the template below and copy and paste it as an email, it will take you a few minutes. Thank you so much.
Many of you have your own stories to tell about young adults like Jess and why you support Jess’s Law, which is of course relevant.
If you are unsure who your MP is, you may find them here:
https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP
"Dear (insert name of MP here)
I am writing to urge you to back the petition ‘Jess’s Law - Improve the Awareness and Diagnosis of Cancer in young adults.’
This petition, with nearly 321,000 supporters, was created in memory of Jessica Brady who died on the 20th of December 2020. She was 27 years old. She had been ill for 6 months and despite presenting with red-flag symptoms she was simply prescribed numerous medications including countless courses of antibiotics and steroids, even without an examination. She was told for months she was suffering from Long Covid despite two negative coronavirus tests. She was finally diagnosed with cancer on the 26th of November 2020, following a private referral. Her dependency upon oxygen from this date meant she did not leave the hospital or ever return home. It was discovered that Jess had stage 4 adenocarcinoma with an unknown primary. It had spread throughout her body, to her spine, liver, stomach, lungs, bones, and lymph nodes. This was devastating for Jessica and her family, shattering their world.
The unimaginable journey the family has been on with Jess has led them to unravel some unsettling truths. According to Cancer Research UK adults aged 25-49 contribute around a tenth of all new cancer cases, with double the incidence in females than males. Currently, this age group is not prioritised although many cancers are aggressive and require immediate treatment. Despite being too young to be ignored they often are. They are the forgotten generations. Too old for their diagnosis to be truly shocking and too young to be deemed at serious risk.
Heartbreakingly, Jess’ story is not an isolated case. Responses to the petition, from countless people, mirror the pain the Brady family has experienced. Doctors are woefully inadequate in recognising symptoms of cancer and are also restricted by a deplorable lack of funding. Currently, only 54% are diagnosed at Stages 1 and 2. Inevitably, the weight of responsibility in achieving earlier diagnosis lies within Primary Care.
The proposal for Jess’s Law is simple, it calls for a case to be elevated for review after a patient contacts their GP surgery about a condition/symptom for the third time. The law suggests that the third point of contact is a minimal requirement for referral and states it should not be a tokenistic exercise but involve thorough investigative procedures.
Please contact Victoria Atkins, offering your support for these calls for change, and be the MP who makes a necessary and lasting impact for our future generations.
Yours sincerely
(Insert your name)”
Since my last update three weeks ago, a further 11,000 people have signed this petition. Whether you have recently added your name or you have been supporting our campaign from the start, I would like to, once again, extend my sincere gratitude, to all of you, for calling for change and wishing to make a difference.
We will be thinking of you all this Christmas.