A woman from Stockport has welcomed a miracle baby boy into the world after having her ovaries removed during treatment for a rare type of cancer.
38-year-old Stacey Broadmeadow’s life was flipped upside down when she was sadly diagnosed with Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP) back in 2018.
PMP is a rare form of cancer that starts in the lining of the appendix.
With symptoms including loss of appetite, unexpected weight gain, and stomach pain, PMP is where a jelly-like substance called mucin is produced and bursts out of the appendix, and sees cells begin spreading around the tummy.
“I had never heard of PMP before I was diagnosed,” Stacey admitted.
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“I noticed some abnormal bleeding, and the only reason I went to the doctor was the desire to start a family. I was worried something would affect my fertility and wanted to check everything was okay, but I never expected it to be cancer.
“My first thought after being diagnosed was that I’d never be a mum, it was absolutely devastating.”
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"I’m in a bubble of love and can’t imagine my life without him.”
Stacey Broadmeadow has become a mum to Harry after having her ovaries removed as part of her treatment for a rare cancer at The Christie.
People with PMP often need major surgery to remove the tissue lining in the abdominal cavity, and save organs that are at risk of implants from the abnormal cells – including the gallbladder, the spleen, and parts of the bowel – and then once the surgery has been performed, heated chemotherapy (HIPEC) is introduced into the abdomen to kill any unseen tumour cells.
In Stacey’s case, her ovaries needed to be removed as part of her operation, and so she had her eggs harvested and frozen.
After receiving world-class care and treatment at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust right here in Manchester, Stacey has beaten the odds to give birth to a baby boy following the all clear from the one-in-a-million type of cancer.
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Stacey received treatment at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester / Credit: The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
“All my harvested eggs were used during the IVF process,” Stacey continued.
“I was only able to create two embryos. I had my first round of IVF in August 2021, and unfortunately, that ended in a miscarriage. I only had one embryo left and had my final round in February last year. The doctors weren’t sure whether it was going to work as the embryo was not as good as the previous one, but it was successful, and my beautiful son Harry arrived in mid-November.
“I can’t even put into words how I feel. I’m in a complete bubble of love and can’t imagine my life without him.”
Stacey has thanked her consultant, Professor Sarah O’Dwyer, and clinical nurse specialst, Rebecca Halstead, saying they were “brilliant” throughout her treatment, as well as heaping praise on The Christie as “one of only two centres in the country that treat rare abdominal cancers like mine”.
“I’m so lucky to have it on my doorstep,” she concluded.
Featured Image – The Christie NHS
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Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.
Emily Sergeant -
17th April 2023 
