20-20 Voice Cancer Appeal
Phil Johnson, Chairman of the 20-20
charity and member of the Leicester
Larys is a man on a mission. He’s
trying to raise £50,000 for Leicester
Royal Infirmary. Or rather, we should
say, he is going to raise £50,000. You
don’t use words like ‘try’ around Phil.
He’s far too focused on his goal.
Phil explains, “The ENT department
is so short of funds, but there’s a new
‘toy’ on the market that will help their
specialists diagnose neck and throat
cancer a damn sight quicker than
they can now.”
It’s a rhinolaryngoscope, and it gives
specialists a crystal clear colour
image on a 30 inch TV screen;
much better than the scratchy little
image they have to work with now.
It makes finding even the smallest
abnormalities so much easier. It will
undoubtedly save valuable hospital
time and money. And it will save
patients six months in diagnosis
time.
As Phil says “If it saves just one
person from losing their voice it will
be worth it.”
“I know I have a long way to go
in reaching my target but having
experienced the trauma this awful
form of cancer creates myself, I am
determined.”
8 THE VOICE | Summer 2013
The Olympus ENF-VQ
Video Rhinolaryngoscope
The Perfect Picture
So why is it called the 20-20 Cancer
Appeal? “The machine gives the
specialists a perfect picture of all the
parts we can’t see, like 20-20 vision.
And we also hope that when people
find out about the charity, they’ll want
to chuck a few 20p pieces our way. But
there’s something else. Probably the
most important reason of all…”
“My consultant surgeon, and gentle
giant, Mr Andrew Moir, saved my life
last October, after a combination of
chemo and radiotherapy failed to kill
off my tumour. I knew I was going to
lose my voice but I didn’t hesitate for
a second. When Andrew told me the
tumour had virtually taken over my
larynx we agreed on ‘the big one’ –
the laryngectomy. I scribbled on my
pad, ‘You’re the man, let’s do it!’”