Man who survived cancer as a child and adult organises ball to raise money for charity

  • Hamish came into our studio with his mum Sarah to talk about his big night.

A man from Greater Manchester who lived through cancer as a child, and again as a young adult, has organised a grand charity ball to help others facing the disease.

Hamish Graham, from Littleborough near Rochdale, hopes his football and film-themed event will raise money for two charities helping teenage cancer patients.

Hamish was just 23 when he began feeling dizzy and tired back in May 2020. His family also noticed he had lost a lot of weight.At an in initial appointment at an out-of-hours GP practice, Hamish was told he likely had a migraine.However, his mum Sarah, 57, pushed for a blood test which later revealed he had leukaemia, a blood cancer which develops in the bone marrow or lymphatic system.Hamish endured three years of chemotherapy before finally going into remission in 2023.

Hamish was diagnosed with a brain tumour when he was seven. Credit: MEN

It wasn't the first time the family have experienced a health shock, Hamish was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour when he was just seven years old.He went through six weeks of radiotherapy and 18 months of chemotherapy before eventually being given the all-clear.Hamish, who works at the ODEON cinema in the Trafford Centre, can recall the first symptom he showed right before his second diagnosis. “I just felt tired and I couldn't go any further. My mum then tried to get me in for a blood test.““It just felt like déjà vu because I'd been through it once before. It got me down a bit. I feel okay now and am looking forward to getting back to speed with work. I still work now, but not as many hours as I used to, but I'm getting there.”

The Christie Credit: Press Association

Sarah, says Hamish’s recent leukaemia diagnosis brought back bad memories from when he was a child.“It was quite traumatic for both of us, I think a lot of the stuff from the first battle resurfaced and the stuff we had to deal with, especially being in isolation, brought everything back up.“One of the good things was that some of the staff that treated Hamish when he was seven were still there.”Having battled cancer twice, Hamish is now set to raise cash for the charities that have supported him over the years.He has created MARVELous night out, an event which will take place at The Edwardian hotel in Manchester city centre on September 28 in aid of The Teenage Cancer Trust and The Christie Teenage and Young Adult Unit.“Hamish’s MARVELous Night Out is our biggest fundraising mission yet,” Sarah added.

“Hamish has already raised over £38,000 for charity and we hope that this event will propel that total much higher.“We’re extremely grateful for the support of all those involved, the community has really come together and the support from Manchester City supporters shows that there is no rivalry when it comes to helping worthy causes.”Hosted by Hits Radio presenter Mike Toolan, the evening will feature a live band, a DJ set, a silent auction with ‘money can’t buy’ prizes, a drinks reception, a raffle, and more. Hamish’s MARVELous Night Out will also feature his two favourite things – films and football.Businesses wanting to support the evening can donate a raffle or auction prize, sponsor a table, or purchase tickets here.

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