Bear’s DeafCancerWarriors Fund Raiser

Matt Lunney-Vella is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Tony Vella.

Donation protected

My name is Matt known as Bear, to a lot of people. I am 43 year old profoundly deaf sign language user who can lip read and speak a little.

I apologise for my spelling and English language grammar.

I was born profoundly deaf. Learnt as much as I could to express and write. Anyway…

Bear is because it is my nickname, and the description of me, well a lot can say I fit it very well, the group are DEAF and have a cancer connection. The word warriors is something we often says in zoom video calling a lot. Hence the title.

Right.. let me start the story

I have Severe Sleep Apnoea where I stop breathing when asleep and am connected to a machine to assist with positive flow of air in order to hopefully get a decent night sleep but rarely happen and I am constantly tired a lot

BUT…..

I also unfortunately have Stage 4, Skin Melanoma cancer and have been on this journey for 14 year. The cancer came back FOUR time in my neck, along with a brain tumour and TWO stomach tumour. I have reached the palliative stage now, being made comfortable and enjoying life.

I am taking tablets but only till they stops working, I am prolonging my life as much as I can.

There is no CURE for my illness, but with immunotherapy tablets it will prolong my life for as long as I can manage.

I am tired and very scared, but before my fight is over with cancer, I want to raise awareness for the fantastic deaf cancer group.

There is a support group called the ‘Deaf Cancer Support Group UK’ which is a project being supported by Self Help UK and Macmillan in partnership.

I found them by accident through my interpreter at one of my cancer appointment, that there a group that meet on zoom internet by video calling that are all deaf and signs.

They also have a text WhatsApp group too.

There a Facebook Page. It is at the bottom of this page.

It had been a LIFELINE to me due to the fact that I have often felt low due to knowing that I am TERMINALLY ILL and the group had fully supported me, giving me words of wisdom in a silent world, along with laughters and tears united as a Warrior Group.

They give me the courage to continue living and understand the struggles being DEAF who use sign language or lip read dealing with doctors and complicated medicines and words.

I had the co ordinator and one volunteer on a video calling being broken the news by text message from my nurse, as instructed to be told my cancer had returned and spread.

My World fell apart, I wanted to give up on life but they made me see I can fight and hold on, plus help support the others DeafCancerWarriors when they get to my stage, I hope to be around for a while longer.⭐️

I can’t Communicate with hearing people, but can with deaf cancer patients, who going through similar experiences as me. That through sign language.

The volunteers are highly trained and educated to help support and advise us of anything we are unsure of.

I wanted to raise funds specifically for this group to help grow, bring more cancer members who are deaf, who are needing support right NOW.

There hundred of deaf cancer patients with no support all around the UK, who isn’t even aware that they can have an interpreter with them independently and not use a family member or friend.

To help educate the group of new topic and medicines about.

To help empower them of their rights and knowledge about their cancer and treatments.

This been very hard to write but I know I am leaving sooner than anticipated.

I want to leave and give something back in memory.

I am so appreciative of the group.

God bless everyone of you:

We also have a tee shirt and hoodie to sell to raise for the group and increase vital funds.

You can place an order for a tee shirt or hoodie and pay for it via here, giving a screen shot of payment and your order to [email redacted].uk

There is the text number on the back of teeshirt so you can tell deaf people of this group.

If you are DEAF with cancer, you can find our Facebook group, join WhatsApp or zoom video conference calling.

I have called a favour and asked on my army of friends to join me in the Bear Abseil Day at the famous Northampton Lift Tower. Number unknown but over fifteen is following me in my footstep to abseil and over come my fear and complete one, of my bucket list:

The tower is just over 400 feet worth of tallest. Are you Beary Brave?

The Bear Abseil Morning is on Saturday 23rd October 2021 starting at 8.45am

I ask you to share on your page, explain your doing an abseil and to beg them to donate to this cause and help you to do the abseil and raise funds.

The people doing the abseiling are as follows:-

Bear Lunney-Vella

Tony Vella

Shannen Vella

Ashleigh Louisee

Krista Norris

Nina Bellusci

Mason Mills

Rebekah Reynolds

Cheryl Culver

Vinand Woochit

Rose Cunningham

Theo Cunningham who a teenager

Claire Adshead

Michelle Frost

Robert Foulkes

Matt Brennan

Cheryl Chez Bez Brownie

Ruth Reid

Debbie Mitchell

James Lungley

Jake Carley

Sharron Miller

Gem Dixon

Chloe Woofield

Chris Reid

Cathie Robins-Talbot

Emily Bliss

Lisa Fisher-Dixon

Mel Hanlon

ONE ABSEILING RAFFLE PRIZE £2 A NAME TICKET.

One of my ambitions, is to get a Bear Cave Retreat, when cancer sufferers can go to have a relaxing holiday, everything disabled and cancer friendly. This is a dream.

I have whenever gone away just for a few day break away from home, it does me the world of good to take time out and recharge.

A log cabin, a yurt, some sort of lodge? It just a dream idea to send my brave warriors away for a break and to reward themselves for doing the treatments.

Any on cancer treatments wouldn’t wish it on any of you who doesn’t have it and is a WARRIOR in my eyes.

PLEASE help donate any amount you can give even if it is a quid or could buy the teeshirt £17.50, or the hoodie £25 with postage fees, or join in the Abseil to Raise Funds for Bear’s DeafCancerWarriors.

I know I set an amount limit of £5000 but to achieve as much as I can to know my support group will be safe and secured for a while longer helping other on their journeys.

Matt alas Bear