The Inspiring Oncology Nurse Who Has Helped Hundreds of Thousands of Cancer Patients

Cancer nurse Laura Lee, one day in 1993, began caring for a new patient without knowing that this would change her own life and many others forever.

That patient, Maggie Keswick Jencks, had come up with the idea of setting up a small center beside the Edinburgh hospital where she was receiving treatment, to help people cope with cancer.

Laura, then in her early 20s, recognized this need and wholeheartedly embraced the idea, becoming the first employee and CEO of the charity they called Maggie's .

Dame Laura Lee went from being a cancer nurse to becoming CEO of Maggie's, a large and growing network of centers that aim to support people with cancer in calm, positive and uplifting surroundings.

Laura sums up her aim as follows: "To prevent patients living in the shadow of the fear of death from losing their joy in life."

Now 57, Laura has managed to grow the project over the past 30 years from just one center to 24 different centers receiving 340,000 visits a year. They also plan to open more centers.

Sadly, Maggie died before she could see her dream come true. In 1995, aged just 53, she died of breast cancer shortly before work began on the first Maggie's center at Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.

A Project Growing Through Donations

People's Postcode Lottery is a lottery operating in the United Kingdom in which winners are determined by their postcodes. The lottery makes substantial donations to many charities. Dame Laura has worked with it for twenty years, raising an impressive £23 million through this partnership. This funding contributes to the growth and expansion of Maggie's centers.

Thanks to Laura's vision and the public's generosity, Maggie's centers have created a remarkable legacy. Since 2008, players of People's Postcode Lottery have donated a total of £23 million, and the donations continue.

Laura, who was awarded the title of Dame in 2019, says, "It's an incredible amount of money." She emphasizes that People's Postcode Lottery has been a wonderful partner for Maggie's and that its growth has allowed Maggie's to grow too. Its decision to become a long-term partner also allows Maggie's to plan for the future.

This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate winning players while also helping people with cancer.

Note: "Dame" is an honorary title awarded to women in the United Kingdom and is generally considered equivalent to a knighthood. It is usually awarded to women who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in areas such as public service, the arts, science, business or charity work.

How the Idea for Maggie's Centers Began

Maggie Keswick Jencks was first diagnosed with breast cancer at 47 and underwent successful treatment. However, the cancer returned five years later, and in 1993 she received the devastating news that she had only a few months to live.

She and her husband Charles had to hear this bad news in a windowless corridor alongside other patients. This experience prompted the idea that there should be a better environment for treatment and support, and so the idea for Maggie's centers was born.

Maggie's centers aim to create peaceful, supportive settings close to oncology units. As Laura explains, "You can walk into a center without an appointment and speak to a cancer support specialist. Services are tailored to the individual; you can share your concerns and discuss how we can help. If you need more specific support, such as a psychologist, we can arrange that too."

There are 60 oncology units across the United Kingdom, and Laura's goal is to have a Maggie's center beside every one. Six more centers are currently being planned.

Maggie's Centers in the United Kingdom

Initially, they planned to establish just one Maggie's center in Edinburgh. However, Laura says doctors in Glasgow and Dundee also wanted similar centers in their own cities, and Maggie's began to grow organically.

The design of the centers is also striking. World-renowned architects such as Norman Foster and Richard Rogers have designed them.

Maggie and Laura believe in the positive effects that surroundings can have on people. Each center is therefore designed to instill peace and hope in its visitors.

Laura says, "When you are diagnosed, you can feel helpless, but through Maggie's you can meet other people going through similar experiences and feel less alone," she explains.

Laura imagines what Maggie would think of this fascinating legacy: "She would be delighted, perhaps a little surprised. She would marvel at how generous people have been and how committed they are to the project."

This growth and success have been made possible by the continued, unrestricted financial support of People's Postcode Lottery. With just five centers in 2008, Maggie's opened 19 more over 15 years and has been visited by more than 2 million people.

Laura adds, "Continued, unrestricted financial support has allowed us to accelerate our growth and make ambitious plans to have a Maggie's at every major cancer center in the country," she adds.