Hygienist raises £20,000 for charity
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- Published: Wednesday, 16 July 2014 07:26
- Written by News Editor
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A dental hygienist has raised almost £20,000 for Mouth Cancer Action by walking 500 miles across the UK. Christina Chatfield, owner of Dental Health Spa Brighton, finished her ‘500 Miles 4 Smiles’ walk on 19 June in Brighton, marking the end of an extraordinary month. The walk started at Christina’s first practice in Kirriemuir, Scotland. More than 300 people joined the walk on various legs of the route in support of Mouth Cancer Action.
Christina said: “I spoke to a number of people along the route and very few are aware of the link between mouth cancer and the human papillomavirus (HPV), one of the key factors behind the increase. It was a gruelling month for me, but making those people I met aware of mouth cancer was worth it.
“I was joined by a mouth cancer sufferer and her children along the route, which was all the motivation I needed. The support along the route was incredible. I remember bumping into two ramblers, and they hadn’t heard of mouth cancer. They donated £10 of their weekly pension allowance to me, and it was moments like that which kept me going. The money is going to an excellent cause. Mouth cancer rates are increasing, and hopefully the walk will get people thinking about the disease and what they can do to take themselves out of harm’s way.”
Christina can be found on Twitter @dentalhealthspa
Donations can still be made at Justgiving.com
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