The dying wish of a well-known St Andrews dance teacher has been granted with the purchase of a revolutionary “cold cap” treatment for chemotherapy patients at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
More than £11,800 was handed over to hospital staff in December after pupils, friends and families of Jenny King’s Academy of Dance (JKDA) in St Andrews, raised funds at what turned out to be the final performance at the Byre Theatre before it closed last January.
The charity dance performance entitled Mind Body and Soul only went ahead at the Byre after “selfless” theatre staff who had been told just days earlier they were to be made redundant agreed to volunteer their time.
The equipment has now been bought and, after travelling to Ninewells on Wednesday to give training to Ninewells staff, Claire Paxman of Paxman Coolers visited the St Andrews dance school to show an example of what had been purchased.
Scalp cooling is a treatment offered to some chemotherapy patients to help prevent the hair loss that is a side-effect of chemotherapy.
Jenny King, who ran JKDA in St Andrews for 33 years, died last February aged 62 just weeks after the charity show at the Byre.
JKDA is now being managed by Jenny’s daughter, Jemma, a professional dancer who moved back to Fife from London to care for her mother.
The 30-year-old told The Courier that it was her late mother’s wish that the money raised should go towards purchasing a new cold cap unit for chemotherapy patients at ward 32.
When Jenny asked her care team about a cold cap she was told that it was not offered because there was only one double unit for all the patients. This meant she may not have been able to receive scalp cooling if other patients were using it on the same day.
Fortunately for Jenny, the unit was available and she was able to receive the scalp cooling treatment.
But she was so thrilled with the results that she felt passionately about as many people as possible being able to benefit from it in future.
“After three sessions of chemotherapy she did not lose her hair, which really gave her a sense of dignity,” said Jemma.
When her mother said that she wanted to fundraise for another cold cap unit, Jemma contacted Claire Paxman through the Cool Head Warm Heart Campaign and learned £10,000 would be needed.
Jemma, of Strathkinness, said it was fantastic to see that the fundraising efforts could now make a real difference to others across Fife and Tayside. It was also a poignant tribute to her mother.
She said: “I liaised directly with Claire through the Cool Head Warm Heart Campaign, who put together a unique package for us which consisted of the cold cap system itself, training, and accessories, which would usually come to a significantly larger amount.”
* On June 21 and 22, JKDA will be holding its next performance, the Great British Dance Off, at the Gardyne Theatre in Dundee. Money raised will be donated to St Andrews Community Hospital for hospice care patients.