A COVENTRY mum who had a hysterectomy after being diagnosed with cervical cancer has backed a charity drive to help save more lives.
Kara Trippass was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 and is now backing Cancer Research UK’s Turning Point for Cancer campaign.
Kara: “The HPV vaccine is vitally important.
“If I had had the vaccine, I could’ve gone on to have more babies as my chances of getting cervical cancer would’ve been lower and I would not have chosen to have my cervix removed.
“My daughter is now 18 and I have always explained the importance of the vaccine as well as cervical screening.
“It’s thanks to research that more and more people are being saved and living longer lives. And for that I am grateful.
“It amazes me that the vaccination programme is expected to prevent almost 90 per cent of cervical cancers in the UK. That’s the incredible power of research.”
Kara, whose cancer was detected through cervical screening, is backing the charities call for the government to develop a long-term cancer strategy.
Kara, a support worker for young people with learning difficulties, was 31 when diagnosed and her daughter was just nine.
She said: “When I was told I had cancer, my answer was to take the problem away and the problem was my cervix.
“I knew I had to get on with it. I remember feeling like I was in a massive bubble and the world was still turning for everyone else but not for me.”
Claire Knight, senior health information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “We’re grateful to Kara for shining a light on the huge leaps forward in cervical cancer that are saving and improving lives right now and why we must not lose momentum.
“The elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem in our lifetime is possible with continued access to vaccination and screening for all.
“The new Government must make sure both programmes in England are backed by sufficient resources and tackle the health inequalities that mean cervical cancer rates are higher in people from deprived backgrounds.”
