WATC magazine March 2025

82-year-old Mary Bruce, a former domestic supervisor at BT is married to John. Together they have four children: Anne, Marie, Catherine, and John. Mary lives in supported care in Wythenshawe and loves playing darts and card games.

In 2024, Mary was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, after her daughter Marie noticed a small mark on her face. Mary was referred to The Christie in August 2024. Mary and Marie met with a consultant at The Christie, who recommended surgery to remove the cancer. This would be a challenge though, as Mary has been living with dementia for around eight years and the surgery that would normally be done involved having a local anaesthetic. Mary and Marie were referred to The Christie’s specialist dementia nurse clinician, Lorraine Burgess, to see what support could be put in place for them both to be confident about the surgery. As a result, Mary was able to successfully have surgery twice, with a general anaesthetic.

“Through working at The Christie, I learned about the amazing work Lorraine Burgess does to support dementia patients, although I am sure even if I didn't work here, I would still have been offered that support. Lorraine sorted everything I needed to help me get Mum through the surgery and recovery. She liaised with all the surgical teams involved in Mum's care, but most importantly, she was there to support me through the experience, as it was quite an ordeal." “My experience at The Christie, both as an employee and as a carer has been first class. Lorraine gave me some great practical tips and advice, particularly on how to help Mum to relax. I honestly don't think Mum or I could have got through the cancer surgery without that help. The plastic surgery team were also superb, and the team in the Integrated Procedures Unit looked after Mum superbly. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank Lorraine and The Christie for their care."

"From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank Lorraine and The Christie for their care"

“Mum finds it difficult to remember things that have just happened and has short-term memory issues.” said Marie. “She is more likely to struggle in stressful situations, for example, when medical treatment is needed.

Mary Bruce

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