Cancer charity founder named on Royal Society of Medicine’s Wall of Honour

Penny Brohn, one of the founders of leading cancer charity, Penny Brohn UK, has been named on the Royal Society of Medicine’s Wall of Honour.

Penny’s family attended an event at the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) in London to celebrate the inclusion of her name on the wall. The Wall of Honour in the atrium at 1 Wimpole Street includes the names of 900 physicians, surgeons, nurses and healthcare professions who have inspired or made a difference in their chosen field of medicine.

In 1979, Penny was diagnosed with breast cancer, She knew that she needed more than medicine to help her cope with her diagnosis and that she needed to care equally for her mind, spirit, emotions, heart and soul. Along with her close friend, Pat Pilkington, she set out to look for it.

In 1980 they set up the Bristol Cancer Help Centre (now Penny Brohn UK). At the time, Penny and Pat’s approach was thought by the established medical community to be on the very fringes of medicine. Now, it is recognised widely that our health involves more than just our body and that the mind and body are closely linked. It is also now accepted that a person living with cancer can do a great many things to support their own health and wellbeing.

Penny’s children: Daniel, Justine and Jessica said: “We are absolutely delighted and so proud to see Mum’s work honoured in this way. Growing up witnessing her relentless conviction in her own treatment and to helping others was inspiring and it is wonderful to see her legacy live on.”

Today, Penny Brohn UK is the only charity in the UK to take an integrated whole person approach to cancer support, using evidence-based therapies that work alongside standard medical treatment to achieve the best health and wellbeing.

For more information about Penny Brohn UK visit www.pennybrohn.org.uk.