Two sisters, Charlotte and Sophie Rooney, from Oxfordshire, are fundraising to throw a festival to raise money for Oracle Head & Neck Cancer UK following Charlotte’s diagnosis of a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
Charlotte, aged 34, lives with her partner and four-year-old daughter. In April this year, her family were presented with the devasting news that Charlotte had been diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC), a type of head and neck cancer. ACC is a rare form of cancer affecting only five in every million people in the UK. Charlotte is currently undergoing intense radiotherapy treatment and has been told she faces a very uncertain future.
Charlotte says: “In January 2024 I noticed a blocked nose without any other cold-like symptoms. After waiting for it to subside on its own for two to three weeks, I went to the doctor but was sent away twice. By the middle of February, I started developing a tingling sensation in the right side of my face. As the nose didn’t clear and the tingling became burning, I went back to the GP and was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia. They referred me to ENT, but the wait to be seen was about 20 weeks. The pain in the face worsened so with help from my parents, I had a private consultation. The ENT doctor found a polyp in my nose and, to rule anything serious, requested scans and a surgical biopsy. On the 18th of April my consultant said I had Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, a terminal cancer and the chances of being cured are in the single percentages.”
Charlotte and her sister Sophie, who grew up in Hook Norton but now lives in the Lake District, are planning a festival for their friends and family to enjoy once the unwanted side effects of Charlotte’s radiotherapy wear off. The event will take place on 12th October at Hadsham Farm in Horley, Oxfordshire. The local venue has very generously provided the event space at a discounted rate to host the festival.
The sisters are hoping local people and businesses will support the fundraiser and have set up a JustGiving page for donations. They aim to raise £10,000 to put on the festival, with proceeds on the evening going to Oracle Head & Neck Cancer UK. Charlotte and Sophie are also calling on Oxon-based companies who may wish to donate raffle prizes, auction items or become a drink or food sponsor.
Sophie says, “Seeing Charlotte approach her treatment with such grit and determination has encouraged us to do something big that we can look forward to once the unwanted side effects of radiotherapy wear off. She is incredibly sociable and one of her dreams is to host a festival for friends and family. We are hoping to raise enough money to throw one heck of an event! We will be using the money raised from the Just Giving page and are asking for donations from local businesses where appropriate.
“Seeing Charlotte approach her treatment with such grit and determination has encouraged us to do something big”
The festival will be a private event for friends and family – but on the night we hope to raise money for the Oracle Head & Cancer UK through entrance donations, games and competitions, and an auction of promises. Any money raised that exceeds the amount needed to fund the event will also be donated to the charity.”
Michelle Vickers, Chief Awareness Officer at Oracle Head & Neck Cancer UK says: “We are incredibly grateful to Charlotte and Sophie for sharing their story to raise awareness of these types of cancers. Head and neck cancer is the seventh most common cancer and yet many people have never heard of it. We hope the Oxfordshire community gets behind them to put on a fantastic event for Charlotte and her friends and family whilst also raising funds for Oracle Head & Neck Cancer UK to help combat the head and neck cancer crisis.”
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