Bev’s ring of hope

Photo: Oldham Chronicle

Parting gift . . . Beverley Eagleton donates a bell to The Christie at Oldham for future patients

Patients at The Christie at Oldham can now mark the end of their radiotherapy treatment in a special way.

Breast cancer patient Beverley Eagleton (44), from Middleton, has donated a bell to the Royal Oldham Hospital-based centre, so patients can mark the end of their radiotherapy treatment by ringing it.

Beverley was inspired after seeing her father-in-law ring the bell at the end of his radiotherapy treatment for throat cancer at the Christie Hospital in Manchester.

Beverley said: “The entire family came to the hospital to support my father-in-law for his last radiotherapy session. It was so emotional, the staff cheered and we rang the bell too.

“After I was diagnosed and began treatment in Oldham I noticed they didn’t have a bell. I wanted everyone to experience that feeling of ending their treatment – including me - so I decided to donate one.”

The bell was unveiled on Beverley’s final day of radiotherapy treatment on Thursday (9 July), so she proudly rang it at 2pm with her family watching.

The tradition is believed to have started in America in the 90s and has now spread worldwide.