Retired radiographer, Julie O’Reilly, attended her Our Future Health appointment after receiving an invite by post.

She was immediately inspired to sign up – and put pen to paper in recognition of the people working behind the scenes to make our mission a reality. 

“I wanted to thank the clinic staff, because they’re doing a wonderful thing,” says Julie, 61. “I wrote ‘A Poem of Dedication’ to express the optimism this research programme makes me feel about the future of healthcare.” 

You can read Julie’s poem in full at the bottom of this article.

The power of poetry

Julie began writing poems for people who positively impacted her day during the pandemic – from nurses to supermarket security guards. 

“When I first hand my poems to people, they’re surprised,” she says. “Then a big smile spreads across their face, and I can see I’ve achieved what I set out to do. 

“There are so many people out there doing amazing things but not getting acknowledgement for their hard work. I give them poems to let them know that what they’re doing is appreciated.  

“I’d read about Our Future Health online and was really impressed with the goal to help others for generations to come. I’m in the habit of taking a poem to appointments I feel are important, so I wrote ‘A Poem of Dedication’ in a handmade card ahead of my clinic visit. 

“I gave it to the staff member who handled my appointment. She said no one had ever written a poem for them before and seemed thrilled. She even went around showing the poem to everyone.” 

BillieJo Knox was working in one of the other bays at the Congleton clinic that day. “The poem was truly beautiful and had a profound emotional impact on the team,” she said.  

“It was clear that much thought and care had been put into it. The heartfelt message made the staff feel truly valued and appreciated. It gave us a sense of camaraderie and connection.”

‘I lost my dad and brother in the same year to cancer’

Before retiring and taking up poetry, Julie worked as a radiographer in the NHS.

“I started my career back in 1981 when there were lots of exciting things being pioneered,” she says. “I worked with a doctor at one stage who was developing stents to open coronary arteries, which was incredibly interesting.  

“When I got my letter from Our Future Health, I just thought, I’ve already been a part of that side of medical progress, why not be a part of another?”.

But she also had another reason for wanting to support our programme. 

“I lost my dad, Walter, and brother, Alan, to cancer in 2007. It was a terrible shock,” says Julie. “That was a very difficult time for our family. It took my dad six months and a whole string of appointments to even get his lung cancer diagnosis.”  

Alan’s route to diagnosis also wasn’t straightforward. “He began having seizures and fits, and his behaviour changed a lot. He ended up on a mental health unit at the hospital as a result. Then it was discovered that he had astrocytoma, a tumour growing behind his eye, which was causing these changes. By the time he was able to get the right treatment, Alan’s cancer was terminal.  

“My dad was 69 when he died, and Alan was 42 – both far too young.” 

Someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer every two minutes. Despite cancer survival rates doubling in the last 50 years, it’s believed that 4 in 10 UK cancer cases are preventable. But we need more research to make this a reality.

Improving health outcomes – for generations to come

“If Our Future Health helps more people with diseases like cancer to be diagnosed and treated sooner, or perhaps even calculate their disease risk, we could prevent so much ill health,” says Julie. 

That’s a big part of why she volunteered. “It felt like a proactive way to help fight disease and improve health outcomes for the next generation, including my own two children. 

“If my poem has helped in some way to communicate the Our Future Health mission and encourage even more people to get involved and spread some good in the world, that would be wonderful.”

A Poem of Dedication

By Julie O’Reilly

In the quiet corridors of data,  
Where genes whisper secrets to the wind,  
Dedicated souls weave their tapestry,  
Stitching hope into the fabric of tomorrow.

They are gardeners of wellness, tending to fragile shoots,  
 Nurturing health like sun-kissed petals unfurling.
Their pens write symphonies of prevention, notes dancing  
Across pages, orchestrating a harmonious refrain.

Like lighthouses on stormy shores, they guide us
Through treacherous seas of uncertainty.
As compass needles, they point toward early detection,
Navigating the labyrinth of hidden risks.

Their dedication, a constellation,
Bright stars mapping the path to longevity,
Each data point a celestial spark,
Igniting the night sky with possibility. 

About Volunteer Voices

Volunteer Voices tell the stories of people who take part in our research programme. Often, they have experienced the devastating effects of a disease. 

Joining Our Future Health does not help our volunteers in their battle with disease. They take part because they want to help improve healthcare for others in the future.