By GEMMA BROWN gemma.brown@hexham-courant.co.uk

Last updated at 10:08, Friday, 30 October 2009

A CANCER survivor from Riding Mill is using her experiences of coping with the disease to help raise funds for a local charity which supported her during treatment.

Living well: Maggie Ireland with her Recipes for Life Calendar 2010 which is raising money for the Lifespan charity that helped her through cancer treatment.

Inspirational mother-of-two Maggie Ireland came up with the idea of creating a charity calendar containing “recipes for life”, provided by people who have faced serious or life-threatening illnesses and have been helped by Lifespan.

Established in 2004, the charity provides much needed support for individuals and families across the North-East from a small office at Minsteracres.

Maggie, a doctor who works in County Durham, was diagnosed with cancer in July last year and went through an intensive period of chemotherapy, during which she contacted Lifespan and saw their reflexologist.

She said: “I had always thought that half the battle with cancer was the right frame of mind.

“After I was diagnosed I decided to look after myself, and everyone, including the team of doctors and nurses who cared for me, were impressed with how well I tolerated the treatment and responded to it.

“One of the nurses looking after me suggested that I speak to another patient who was not coping so well. But I was not too keen, although I was happy to share my ‘recipe’ for coping.”

Almost a year after finishing her treatment, Maggie’s recipe and 11 others have been put together to form a 2010 calendar.

She explained: “As we are all different I thought getting 12 different recipes together in one place like a calendar might be a good idea.

“Originally we started with just the recipes, then we added in thoughtful quotes from each person.”

Each month is illustrated by thoughtful photographs taken by renowned local photographer Shona Branigan from Slaley.

Maggie’s recipe includes all the things that helped her cope, including people, treatments, good food and activities.

She said: “One of the people who was a great source of help and support was my hairdresser, Susan Crozier, who owns Reflections in Corbridge.

“She managed to adapt my hairstyle to whatever the chemotherapy had done to it, and advised me on the best shampoos and hair products. Susan was absolutely wonderful, as were the whole team at Reflections.”

Maggie has worked hard to overcome her illness and ensure it has a number of positive outcomes.

As well as developing the calendar, she took part in Sunderland’s Great North 10K race on July 12, exactly a year on from the day she was rushed to hospital by ambulance before being diagnosed.

She said: “It was important for me do something to mark how far I had come in a year. I finished the race in a very good position and raised £2,000 in the process, of which £1,000 went to Lifespan.”

Manager of Lifespan, Nancy Radford, said: “The calendar is based on the experiences of people who have faced adversity and come out smiling.

“Very often people affected by life threatening conditions feel they have lost control. The recipes for life in the calendar illustrate different ways of coping and taking charge.

“I am confident that the calendar will be an inspiration to all, not just those facing adversity in their lives.”

Calendars are available from Bobby’s in Riding Mill, Cogito Books in Hexham, Forum Bookshop in Corbridge and from Lifespan by emailing info@lifespanteam.org.uk or telephoning (0143) 673777.

First published at 09:53, Friday, 30 October 2009
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk