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Charity employ specialist pancreatic nurse ‘just in time’

Wales’ pancreatic cancer charity, Amser Justin Time, today (Wednesday 15th July) made a ground-breaking announcement at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, having raised sufficient money in their first year of operation to fund a Specialist Pancreatic Nurse for one day a week. The charity, which is headed by Welsh opera, TV and radio star Shân Cothi, in memory of her husband, Tigertailz’ glam-rock star, Justin Smith, marked the announcement with a special performance from Only Men Aloud.

Staff and patients who gathered in the main concourse of the University Hospital of Wales at lunchtime today were treated to an impromptu performance from the nation’s favourite contemporary male choir Only Men Aloud. For those patients unable to attend, the launch was also broadcast live on Hospital Radio. The performance marked the ground-breaking announcement that in the 12 months since the charity was launched, Amser Justin Time has raised over £60,000 and will now use part of these funds to fund a Specialist Pancreatic Nurse for one day a week for two years.

Specialist Pancreatic Nurse Nicki Jardine will be funded by the charity and will divide her time between the University Hospital of Wales and the Velindre Cancer Centre in Whitchurch, Cardiff. Nicki said “This is a remarkable achievement for the charity. I feel privileged to be the first nurse to be funded by Amser Justin Time, such an innovative charity that is so devoted to the cause. On a day to day basis I witness first-hand patients and their families dealing with pancreatic cancer and can honestly say that this charity is making a real difference, so a big thank you to Shân and the Amser Justin Time team”.

The charity was founded by Welsh opera star and TV personality, Shân Cothi in memory of her husband, the talented TV director and editor and glam-rock star, Justin Smith (aka Tigertailz’ Pepsi Tate), who sadly lost his battle against pancreatic cancer in 2007. Shân said “When we launched Amser Justin Time last year with an epic horse-ride from North to South Wales, we met so many people along the way who gave us such a heartwarming welcome and so many kind donations, I bet they’re wondering “what happened to the money I donated to Amser Justin Time?” – Well, here’s the result...a Specialist Pancreatic Nurse!”.

Shân expressed the importance of employing a Specialist Pancreatic Nurse “I’m so proud to be able to tell all the people that supported us that their money will allow us to provide essential care for patients and their families. It’s vital they have someone they can talk to who is specially trained, supportive and can ease the difficulty of dealing with this particularly aggressive from of cancer. We hope that with more donations we will be able to fund more nurses around Wales”.

Given Shân’s celebrity status as a singer, actress and TV personality the charity’s fundraising events have had the support of some of Wales’ biggest celebrities including Bryn Terfel, who joined Shân to record the downloadable track ‘I Believe’. Shân continued to explain “It’s incredible that we’ve managed to raise this amount of money without having a full-time team in place or even an office. This is the first time for the charity to spend a single penny of the money raised, which is why it’s so important for us to mark this occasion”.

Celebrating the announcement at the University Hospital of Wales were Only Men Aloud, stepping straight off the plane from performing in America, who gave an impromptu and heartrending rendition of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’. Only Men Aloud's Music Director and Founder, Tim Rhys-Evans, said “We are immensely proud to be supporting Amser Justin Time as one of the choir’s chosen charities. Having worked and performed with Shân for many years it’s amazing to see how one special Welsh lady can inspire a whole nation and achieve such incredible results”.

Mr Malcolm Puntis, a former Consultant Surgeon & Senior Lecturer for the Cardiff & Vale NHS Trust, and a Specialist in Pancreatic Surgery who treated Justin Smith, said “Justin was such an inspiration. It’s outstanding to see all the fund-raising being put to tangible use providing extra care for pancreatic cancer patients and their relatives. It is a rare and fortunate thing for a charity to have so little overheads to be able to action front-line funding such as this so soon. It would be greater still if the Welsh Assembly Government were to match the funding raised by Amser Justin Time”. Mr Puntis, who has lent his support and expertise freely to Amser Justin Time acting as Mentor for the charity, continued “We are also continuing to develop a comprehensive website to be used as an information resource about pancreatic cancer and to raise public awareness about this cruel disease. We hope the website will become a universal resource for all those affected by pancreatic cancer”.

 ‘Amser’ i elusen gyflogi Nyrs Pancreatig Arbenigol

Heddiw (Dydd Mercher, 15 Gorffennaf), yn Ysbyty Prifysgol Cymru, Caerdydd, gwnaethpwyd cyhoeddiad cyffroes gan elusen Cancr Pancreas Cymru, Amser Justin Time gan eu bod wedi codi digon o arian yn eu blwyddyn gyntaf o fodolaeth i noddi Nyrs Pancreas Arbenigol am un diwrnod yr wythnos. I nodi'r achlysur, trefnodd yr elusen, sydd dan arweiniad y seren Opera, teledu a radio, Shân Cothi ac er cof am ei gwr, seren glam-roc y grŵp Tigertailz, Justin Smith berfformiad arbennig gan Only Men Aloud.

Cafodd staff a chleifion a oedd wedi ymgynnull ym mhrif fynedfa Ysbyty Prifysgol Cymru, eu diddanu gan berfformiad dirybudd gan hoff gôr meibion cyfoes y genedl, Only Men Aloud. I'r cleifion nad oedd yn gallu mynychu, fe ddarlledwyd y lansiad yn fyw ar Radio'r Ysbyty. Roedd y perfformiad yn dynodi'r cyhoeddiad cyffroes fod Amser Justin Time wedi llwyddo i godi dros £60,000 yn y 12 mis ers sefydlu'r elusen a bydd hi nawr yn bosib defnyddio peth o'r gronfa hon i dalu am Nyrs Pancreas Arbenigol am un diwrnod yr wythnos am ddwy flynedd.

Bydd Nyrs Pancreas Arbenigol Nicki Jardine yn cael ei noddi gan yr elusen a bydd yn rhannu ei hamser rhwng Ysbyty Prifysgol Cymru a Chanolfan Cancr Felindre yn yr Eglwys Newydd, Caerdydd. Dywedodd Nicki “Mae hyn yn llwyddiant anhygoel i’r elusen. Mae’n fraint cael bod y nyrs gyntaf i gael ein noddi gan Amser Justin Time, sy’n elusen mor arloesol sydd mor ymroddedig i’r achos. O ddydd i ddydd byddaf yn gweld cleifion a’u teuluoedd yn ceisio ymdopi gyda chancr pancreas a gallaf ddweud gyda llaw ar fy nghalon fod yr elusen hon yn gwneud gwahaniaeth sylweddol, felly hoffwn ddiolch yn fawr iawn i Shân ac i dîm Amser Justin Time.”

Sefydlwyd yr elusen gan y seren opera a theledu, Shân Cothi er cof am ei gwr, y cyfarwyddwr a golygydd teledu dalentog a oedd hefyd yn seren glam-roc, Justin Smith (neu Pepsi Tate o Tigertailz), a gollodd ei frwydr gyda chancr pancreas yn 2007. Dywedodd Shân “Pan lansiwyd Amser Justin Time gyda thaith marchogaeth o Ogledd i De Cymru llynedd fe wnaethon ni gwrdd â chymaint o bobl ar hyd y daith a cawson ni groeso mor cynnes a chymaint o roddion hael, rwy’n siŵr eu bod nhw’n meddwl “tybed ble’r aeth yr arian a roddais i Amser Justin Time?” – Well dyma’r ateb... Nyrs Pancreas Arbenigol!”

Mynegodd Shân y pwysigrwydd o gyflogi Nyrs Pancreas Arbenigol “Dwi mor falch o allu dweud wrth bawb sydd wedi ein cefnogi fod eu pres yn ein galluogi i ddarparu’r gofal angenrheidiol i gleifion a’u teuluoedd. Mae’n hollbwysig eu bod yn gallu siarad â rhywun sydd wedi ei hyfforddi’n arbennig, yn gefnogol ac yn gallu lleddfu’r baich o ddelio gyda’r cancr ymosodol hwn. Rydym yn gobeithio, gyda rhagor o roddion, bydd modd i ni noddi rhagor o nyrsys o gwmpas Cymru.”

Oherwydd statws Shân fel cantores, actores a phersonoliaeth adnabyddus ar y teledu, mae digwyddiadau codi arian yr elusen wedi denu sylw a chefnogaeth rhai o sêr mwyaf Cymru gan gynnwys Bryn Terfel, a ymunodd â Shân i recordio’r gan ‘I Believe’ sydd ar gael i’w lawrlwytho. Esboniodd Shân “Mae’n anhygoel ein bod wedi llwyddo i godi cymaint o arian heb dîm llawn amser na hyd yn oed swyddfa. Dyma fydd y tro cyntaf i’r elusen wario ceiniog o’r arian sydd wedi cael ei godi a dyna pam mae’n bwysig i ni nodi’r achlysur.”

Roedd Only Men Aloud, a ddaeth yn syth oddi ar awyren yn dilyn taith yn America, yn dathlu’r cyhoeddiad yn Ysbyty Prifysgol Cymru gyda pherfformiad dirybudd ac angerddol o ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’. Dywedodd Tim Rhys-Evans, Cyfarwyddwr Cerddoriaeth a Sylfaenydd Only Men Aloud “Rydym yn falch iawn o gefnogi Amser Justin Time fel un o elusennau dethol y côr. Rydym wedi gweithio a pherfformio gyda Shân ers blynyddoedd maith ac mae’n anhygoel gweld sut mae un fenyw o Gymru yn gallu ysbrydoli cenedl cyfan a chael canlyniadau mor anhygoel.”

Dywedodd Mr Malcolm Puntis, Cyn-Llawfeddyg Ymgynghorol ac Uwch-ddarlithydd i Ymddiriedolaeth GIC Caerdydd a’r Fro, ac Arbenigwr mewn Llawdriniaeth Pancreas, a ofalodd am Justin Smith, “Roedd Justin yn ysbrydoliaeth. Mae’n anhygoel i weld yr holl arian yn cael ei ddefnyddio mewn ffordd mor weledol gan gynnig gofal ychwanegol i gleifion cancr y pancreas a’u teuluoedd. Mae’n beth anghyffredin a ffodus iawn fod elusen gyda chyn lleied o gostau rhedeg a’u bod yn gallu gweithredu nawdd mor angenrheidiol â hyn mor fuan. Fe fyddai’r nawdd yn fwy byth pe byddai Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru yn gallu cynnig ariannu cyfatebol i Amser Justin Time.” Ychwanegodd Mr Puntis, sydd wedi rhoi ei gefnogaeth a’i arbenigedd am ddim i Amser Justin Time a hefyd wedi gweithredu fel Mentor i’r elusen, “Rydym hefyd yn parhau i ddatblygu gwefan cynhwysfawr a fydd yn gallu cael ei ddefnyddio fel adnodd wybodaeth am gancr y pancreas a fydd yn codi ymwybyddiaeth a dealltwriaeth o’r clefyd creulon hwn. Rydym yn gobeithio bydd y wefan yn gallu bod yn adnodd hollgynhwysol i bobl sydd wedi eu heffeithio gan gancr y pancreas.”

Am ragor o wybodaeth am yr elusen, ewch i www.amserjustintime.org

I rhoi arian, ewch i www.justgiving.com/amser