A 46-year-old teacher who was treated for stage 3 bowel cancer at St Thomas’ Hospital is set to abseil down the building where she was a patient in aid of charity.
Alison Turnbull, from Sydenham in south-east London, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in September 2023 aged 43. After a year of what she believed to be irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, she went to her GP who arranged for a number of tests, including to check for bowel cancer, despite Alison being under 50, when bowel cancer screening usually begins.
Testing revealed that instead of IBS, Alison was suffering from stage 3 bowel cancer, undergoing three months of chemotherapy at Lewisham Hospital. This was followed by a further 5 weeks of radiotherapy at Guy’s Cancer Centre before receiving surgery at St Thomas’ to remove her tumour in June 2024.
The surgery required the creation of a temporary ileostomy, a procedure where a portion of the small bowel is brought through the stomach to form a stoma, as well as precautionary second course of chemotherapy. Due to adverse reactions to the chemotherapy, Alison’s surgical team decided to reverse the ileostomy in October 2024, 6 months earlier than planned, spending a total of 6 weeks as an inpatient at St Thomas’ Hospital.
Alison stopped her work as a teacher during treatment and began volunteering at the Evelina Hospital School as part of her plan to return to full-time work. The school provides education services to inpatients at Evelina London Children’s Hospital, which is on the same site as St Thomas’ Hospital, while they are unable to attend their regular school.
Alison said: “Having been so unwell when I was a patient in the St Thomas’ Hospital building, it was really difficult to walk through it every day to get to the school and have all those memories brought back.”
However, it wasn’t long before the bad memories were replaced with more positive associations, and Alison now works at the Evelina Hospital School full time.
She said: “Now it’s somewhere I work and I get to do a job I love. It has really helped me to process my cancer treatment and reframe things in a more positive way.”
Alison’s family have a long history with St Thomas’. Her mother and godmother trained as nurses at St Thomas’, and Alison even grew up with a picture of the building on the wall in her childhood home.
Alison said: “My mum had very fond memories of her time at St Thomas’ and the friends she made there. She died in 2017, so it’s been lovely to have that connection to her and to be able to share that connection with my godmother who met her there and was an amazing support throughout treatment, including visiting me on the 11th floor.”
Alison remains under surveillance for her cancer, with regular scans and colonoscopies. Since recovering from the treatment, she has thought about how she could give back to the place that has given her and her family so much.
Alison said: “The team who treated me at St Thomas’ and Guy’s Cancer Centre were all amazing. I wanted to do something to help give back to them and raise awareness of bowel cancer, and when I saw the abseil, it seemed perfect. I can face my fears while raising money for Guy’s Cancer Charity and conquer the building that has been such a big part of my life, for good and bad.
“As someone who didn’t have all the normal bowel cancer symptoms and was under 50 when I was diagnosed, it’s really important to raise awareness and make sure people get checked.”
Rob Halkyard, executive director of Guy’s Cancer Charity, said: “Alison’s experience reminds us of how important the Trust is in so many people’s lives. Thanks to fundraisers like her, we are able to continue making a difference and give cancer patients access to the latest cutting edge treatments backed by world-class research, while supporting our amazing staff.”
The annual abseil down St Thomas’ Hospital takes place this year on the 25th and 26th September, with proceeds going to the three charities that support patients and staff across the Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital and community sites. It comes as Guy’s Cancer Centre celebrates its 10th anniversary this month. Since 2016, Guy’s Cancer Centre has contributed to a 200% increase in chemotherapy appointments at Guy’s and St Thomas’, now delivering 58,000 appointments a year while delivering groundbreaking technology to patients.
The symptoms of bowel cancer can range from blood in your stool and changes in your toilet routine to a lump in your stomach, stomach pain, bloating and feeling tired or losing weight without trying. Speak to your GP if you are experiencing any symptoms.
