Category: Uncategorised

The team from Rhiwbina Dental Practice did an amazing job by running the Barry 10K with all the money being raised for Faceup – they raised £1014 for us

We cannot thank them enough for this incredible feat.

Diolch yn fawr iawn

We are delighted to announce that Faceup Cymru has been chosen as one of the charities by Mr David Powell,  Mayor of Llantwit Major for 2023/24

As a small charity we are overwhelmed by this gesture and we are eternally grateful for this honour.  This will bring much needed attention to our efforts.  In particular we intend to use this opportunity to highlight the joint approach we have formed with Tenovus for the benefit of the patients who are seen in Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board.  We had tried to get cooperation with Cardiff NHS but unfortunately to date they are not interested but we will persevere.

For patients who require support both clinical, pastoral as well as advice please drop us an e mail at :       faceupcymru@outlook.com

or pop into the Faceup /  Tenovus  bus in the outreach carpark at McArther Glen Park designer business park on a Friday

Thanks again to Mr Powell and the Llantwit Major Council

Virtual reality is a computer generated environment with scenes and objects that appear to be real, making the user feel they are immersed in their surroundings. This has been used extensively in palliative care where patients have have had their pain therapy reduced from opiates to Paracetamol .

One of our Head and neck cancer patients contacted Faceup Cymru as he was in such a severe degree of pain with chronic infection of his lower jaw- osteoradionecrosis. He was unable to eat and had great difficulty in speaking. He had baseline pain level of 2 [ one to 10 pain scale ] but would intermittently have pain up to 10.

I have known this gentleman for nearly ten years and he has always been positive & smiling but when I saw him, I have never seen him at such a low ebb. he could hardly speak without being in pain and was very depressed. Unfortunately, he was not taking any analgesia until he had the pain so I asked him to commence on co-codamol 2 tabs three times a day but spent a long time with him going over the VR and gave it to him for a week for him to try and at the same time he would continue with his pain diary.

I saw him one week later and the difference was staggering, in fact unbelievable .  He could now bite his jaws together,  he could speak without bringing on any pain at all and his demeanour was smiling & happy and importantly,  he was enthusiastic again about life.

We have linked with a local VR company and we have purchased a number of sets for the use of our Head and Neck Cancer patients so if anyone is in need of help please contact us and we will be glad to assist.

Also we have embarked on a research project with a VR company looking at its use in explaining to patients the extent of the disease – the initial stages of this research is very promising and we are hoping to go into clinical setting very soon

Tenovus Cancer Care is a Wales-based charity, which supports people and their loved ones to live well with cancer. The charity has three Mobile Support Units, which travel across Wales to bring cancer treatments closer to home.

The Units set up in local car parks, supermarkets, and community venues to limit the stress and cost involved with travelling miles to hospital.

Faceup Cymru is funding  one of these Mobile Support Units to deliver treatments for Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB’s Head and neck cancer patients. This funding will allow Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHBs multidisciplinary team (MDT) to host clinics for head and neck cancer patients in McArthurGlen, Bridgend.

We had offered to replicate the funding for Cardiff and Vale patients but unfortunately they have refused our offer but we will continue to try and bring them on board.

We are very excited about this link and hope it is the beginning of a new chapter in the life of Faceup Cymru but more importantly will achieve our aim of supporting Head and Neck Cancer patients

Hi,  I know a lot of you shop via Amazon.    We have been invited by Amazon to purchase goods via them and then we will receive 0.5 % of the cost of your goods as a donation to Faceup.  Obviously, where you shop is entirely up to you but if you do use Amazon , could you review the following to understand what you do :

www. smile.amazon.co.uk/b/node=17337655031

If you are happy to do this then copy this and put it into the search box and double click.  Then follow the instructions.

Any problems please e mail me

Hope you are well and thanks for all your support

Kind regards,

Mike Fardy

Medical Advisor

We would once again like to thank our friends and long standing supporters – the Penarth Conservative club.

They have kindly raised £160 to support our charity and we are as always eternally grateful.

They have raised vast sums for us over the years and I know the patients ar all really grateful

Mike Fardy

We are so grateful to the Cardiff Dental Students who have Kindly raised £307 for Faceup. Despite all the problems of COVID and trying to maintain their studies, they have raised this money for the benefit of our Head and Neck patients.

This generosity is so appreciated.

Diolch yn Fawr

Mike FARDY

You will find on the menu bar a link to the patient journey.  Please take a little time to look at the series of videos.  Please note that the purpose of theses videos is to explain some or all of the steps you will go through in the cancer journey. The faces may have changed but the message is still the same – we are here to help you but please contact Face up via our e mail if you have any questions or issues you would like help with,  we will get back to you asap

It is with great sadness, that I have to announce that our dear friend Elaine passed away peacefully at home this morning- 25th March.

I have had the privilege of knowing Elaine since November 2008 when she became my patient , but quickly she became a valued friend.  Her trips to the clinic were always eagerly anticipated – yes to see her and give her a hug but also to look forward to the large amount of Kit Kat; chocolate rolls and biscuits she would bring and I really had to explain to the staff that really she did not need to comeback every month for review !!!!

She was always interested in everyone and was unbelievably generous in cards and gifts be it birthdays or Xmas or births – she was always there.  We became particularly close when I bred pigs and would regularly look to get pork and sausages for family and friends !!

Face up Cymru – the Head and Neck cancer charity has  so benefited from her support. Be it fund raising in skittles or shaking a donation tin in M& S when we did our sponsored bike ride, she was a great supporter and her and her friend Chris would always be there to support us to help everyone. It is a great pity that this ethic is not present in a lot of people.

The charity has gone through some tough times, with individuals having different agendas but Elaine was always rock solid in her total support and for that I/ we are eternally grateful.

Over the last 3 years , when she became aware the cancer had recurred, she approached this in her normal accepting manner.  What to be is to be.  She bore all her problems superbly.  Eating was a problem but it never got on top of her- she could always drink through her straw!!

She remains a model for us all to look up to.

Elaine Palfrey was first a patient I treated in 2008 but became a dear close friend and will always remain one of my closest friends who I will miss enormously.  My thoughts are with Roy her husband and Chris her closest friend.

Take care and I miss you

Mike Fardy

xxxxx