Support Sarcoma UK during the BBC Lifeline Appeal
Meet Dan, Maddie and Claire, and learn how Sarcoma UK is supporting them.
Presented by comedian and Sarcoma UK Celebrity Ambassador, Angela Barnes.
Watch the appeal via the button below and support Sarcoma UK during the BBC Lifeline Appeal.
Support the BBC Lifeline Appeal
About the BBC Lifeline Appeal
Our Lifeline Appeal will be broadcast at 2:20 pm on Sunday 21 September on BBC Two, and repeated the following week on BBC One and on BBC iPlayer. You can also watch our appeal video on the BBC Lifeline website after broadcast.
If you have any questions about this appeal, please contact our Fundraising team on fundraising@sarcoma.org.uk or call 0207 856 0445. We are here to help!
‘Until my good friend, the comedian Phil Jerrod, was diagnosed, I knew very little about sarcoma, and I don’t think I am alone.
In this appeal, you will hear from people whose lives have been changed by Sarcoma UK’s work. I hope you will be moved to support them, so that no one has to face sarcoma alone.’
Angela Barnes, comedian and Sarcoma UK Ambassador
Meet Maddie
Maddie was just 18 when she was diagnosed with alveolar soft part sarcoma, a very rare type of cancer. Her treatment delays meant the cancer spread, and she now lives with tumours in her lungs and bones.
With no standard treatment available, Maddie has endured clinical trials and experimental drugs, often with severe side effects. Sarcoma UK funds vital research to change this picture, so that patients like Maddie have real options and better outcomes.
Meet Claire
Claire was diagnosed with myxoid liposarcoma in her thigh. She thanks Sarcoma UK’s “invaluable” Support Line team for spotting a mix-up with her treatment. She had been told by a healthcare professional that she would be given chemotherapy. She rang the Support Line and was told that chemotherapy is not usually the treatment for her subtype. They gave her the confidence to advocate for herself and get different treatment.
The Support Line team also advised Claire on how to manage this new treatment. “The Sarcoma UK specialists knew and understood what I was going through and offered practical support. They provided robust, accurate information, and they were also very caring.”
Meet Dan
When his wife Lolly was diagnosed with parosteal osteosarcoma, Dan found himself in a world of medical terms and terrifying uncertainty. Sarcoma UK’s Support Line became a lifeline. The specialists helped them make sense of the jargon, guided them through treatment options and offered crucial emotional support. Even in the darkest days, Dan says the Support Line was there to steady them.
Lolly sadly died in 2023, but she channelled her energy into raising awareness, appearing on national television to share her story. For Dan, the support they received was invaluable, and he wants others to have that same reassurance.
