A lifelong Grimsby Town fan is used to attracting stares thanks to the “daft” pink inflatable he always carries with him before games.
Andrew Markham, 64, from Brigg, North Lincolnshire, greets fans heading to Blundell Park with the strange object. It is something he hopes will save lives.
The inflatable is, in fact, a lesser-known but very important organ — the pancreas. Tragically, Andrew has lost two friends to pancreatic cancer and decided he must raise awareness of the disease, which kills around 9,000 people in the UK every year.
Armed with a giant inflatable pancreas, Andrew meets football fans from away who stop off in Brigg for a drink on their way to watch their team play against Grimsby Town FC.
As a lifelong Town fan himself, he said he believes his efforts not only raise vital funds for charity and awareness of the disease but also bring football fans from opposing teams together.
He said: “We get away fans stopping off in Brigg for a quiet beer on their way to Blundell Park, we have done since the 1960s. And when they come, they see this big pancreas – it looks like a willy – so it draws a lot of interest. When people see it, they’ll ask a question and, in turn, it raises awareness and they ask about symptoms, so it saves lives, as daft as it looks.
“The reaction from the away fans is so positive because a number of people have been affected by it and you get into an engaging chat with them, not just about pancreatic cancer but other cancers as well.”
Andrew said: “I lost a friend with pancreatic cancer about ten years ago now and I realised just how bad it was. I was told it kills people very quickly. I lost a couple of friends with it, so we formed the group in Brigg to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer in the area.”
He continued: “We’re not big or formal – just a group of friends who have lost people close to us and want to save lives from this awful disease.
Just seven per cent of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survive the disease for more than five years. To boost the odds of survival through greater awareness of symptoms, Andrew became an ambassador for Pancreatic Cancer Action and set up the Brigg Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Group, which organises several events in Brigg throughout the year to raise funds for the charity.
Through their tireless efforts, the group has raised an incredible £25,000 for Pancreatic Cancer Action.
(This story first appeared in the Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
For further information about pancreatic cancer go to: www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk
Panpals offers a support group for patient, carers and families across Yorkshire email: panpalsyorks@yahoo.co.uk or text: 07542 511932