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Manchester woman now cancer free after groundbreaking UK-first transplant

Such an incredible story.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 7th January 2025

A young woman from Manchester who was told she only had a short time to live is now cancer free after a UK-first transplant.

Bianca Perea, a 32-year-old trainee lawyer who lives in Wigan, was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer – which is the most advanced kind – back in November 2021 when she was just 29, after only feeling a bit constipated and bloated, but otherwise having no other major symptoms.

After she was referred to her local hospital to have emergency bloods and a stool sample taken, followed by a colonoscopy and a biopsy, these investigations sadly revealed that she had bowel cancer, which had spread to all eight segments of her liver.

According to Cancer Research, only one in 10 people with advanced bowel cancer will survive for five years or more after their diagnosis.

But after becoming a patient at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, a specialist cancer centre in Manchester, Bianca is now miraculously cancer free thanks to becoming the first person in the UK to have a liver transplant for advanced bowel cancer, along with other previous treatments included targeted therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery.

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Bianca was referred to The Christie’s local treatment centre in Wigan in early December 2021 where she had 37 rounds of a targeted drug called panitumumab, and chemotherapy over two and a half years.

According to The Christie, she had an “excellent response” to the treatment, with the tumour shrinking enough so that she could have an operation to remove the part of the bowel where it was.

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A Manchester woman is now cancer free after a groundbreaking UK-first transplant / Credit: The Christie NHS

However scans showed she still had tumours in her liver which couldn’t be operated on, and so she was then referred to Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as she was found to be a suitable candidate for a transplant.

Before being added to the transplant list, Bianca had to be doing well on treatment for two years, and she hit this milestone in December 2023.

She was subsequently added to the list in February 2024, and had her operation this past summer.

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Despite all the odds, the surgery was successful, meaning she is now cancer free and the teams at Leeds and The Christie are “hopeful” that the cancer won’t return too.

“Within four weeks of going under the knife, I was able to drive and walk the family dogs, it was really quite incredible,” Bianca said.

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“To go from being told I’d only have a short time to live to now being cancer free is the greatest gift. I’ve been given a second chance at life and I’m going to grab it with both hands. I am so grateful to the family who agreed to donate their loved one’s liver.”

Featured Image – The Christie NHS

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Channel 4 to air exclusive new documentary about the disappearance and death of Lancashire teen Jay Slater

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Jay Slater's mum has issued an update through a GoFundMe. Credit: GoFundMe

An exclusive new documentary taking an inside look at the the disappearance of Jay Slater is coming to Channel 4.

On the morning of 17 June 2024, 19-year-old Jay Slater – an apprentice bricklayer from the Lancashire town of Oswaldtwistle – disappeared on the island of Tenerife in Spain, after attempting to walk 14 hours back to his accommodation when there was no local taxi service available and no bus due for 90 minutes.

From then commenced one of the biggest missing persons cases in recent British history.

As the world’s media were following the story minute by minute last summer, producers at Channel 4 were in the incredibly-unique position where they had access to the Coronial process in Lancashire, and this has led to the exclusive documentary title The Disappearance of Jay Slater.

From Jay’s post-mortem to Jay’s inquest, the team have been with the family every step of the way over the last year, as they try and understand exactly what happened to Jay outside of the public gaze

Jay was ultimately pronounced dead on 15 July 2024 after Spanish police reported the discovery of a body in the vicinity of the area of interest, but before this discovery and eventual announcement, the internet became awash with public discourse, conspiracy theories, and more.

The Disappearance of Jay Slater is described as being ‘the family’s story’.

Spanish Civil Guard ask for volunteers to help with Jay Slater search
Channel 4 will air an exclusive new documentary about the disappearance and death of Lancashire teen Jay Slater / Credit: GoFundMe

The documentary is set to follow them as they search for answers about what happened to Jay, witnessing the conspiracy theories raging online and the subsequent horrific abuse they received as a family – which is an hourly onslaught that continues to this day. 

These cameras were the only media in the world granted full access to film both Jay’s post-mortem and inside the church at his funeral.

But the broadcaster claims this documentary is not only the story of Jay’s tragedy, it’s also the story of ‘the new world we live in’ where so-called true crime armchair detectives run wild.

“The story of Jay Slater captured the nation last summer with a fervour and intensity fuelled by armchair detectives and internet culture,” commented Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor, Rita Daniels, ahead of the documentary airing.

“We are so glad to be working on a sensitively handled exploration of the family’s experience, and understanding the impact of being in the middle of a social media storm, amplified by grief.

“The film holds a light up to our current society and is exactly the story that is a necessity for Channel 4 to tell.”

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Executive Producer Anna Hall added: “It is appalling what has happened to Jay’s family, and we hope this film will help to bring awareness of the real life consequences of online speculation. It is an unmonitored world where fake news runs rife, and this film shows the devastating impact this has had on one grieving family.”

The Disappearance of Jay Slater is expected to air on Channel 4 later this year, but no official dates have been confirmed as of yet, so keep your eyes peeled.

Featured Image – GoFundMe

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Section of major Salford road to close for six months while ‘essential works’ are carried out

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Salford Rise CGI

A section of major Salford city centre road is set to close for six months while ‘essential works’ are carried out.

As part of Salford Rise – which is a key element of the wider £2.5bn 240-acre Crescent Salford masterplan being delivered by the Crescent Partnership, comprising ECF, Salford City Council, and the University of Salford – Frederick Road is set to close from next month to enable essential construction across the carriageway.

The new 220-metre elevated walkway is aiming to provide a traffic-free route over the road for pedestrians and cyclists, all while continuing to improve community connectivity.

The Salford road will be closed to both vehicles and pedestrians between Lissadel Street and Leslie Hough Way while the walkway is built.

A section of a major Salford road will be closing for six months while ‘essential works’ are carried out / Credit: Crescent Partnership

Vehicle diversions will be in place via Lissadel Street, Cromwell Road, Gerald Road, and Seaford Road during the six-month period, and pedestrians will be able to walk up Broughton Road East to get around the closure.

Access to the North of England Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC), however, will be maintained according to the Council.

Salford Rise is described as being ‘the backbone’ of the Crescent Innovation and a ‘transformational element’ of the wider masterplan.

The 29-acre area – which received planning permission last year, and is set to complete in the summer of 2026 – is made up of dozens of new homes and 1.7m sq ft of commercial, academic, and research floorspace built on existing state-of-the-art research and development facilities to drive further economic growth in the city and wider region.

While the work on the walkway is ongoing, there will also be parking restrictions in place on Lissadel Street and Broughton Road East for ‘pedestrian safety’.

“Salford Rise is a key regeneration project that will unlock the potential of the Crescent Innovation zone and better connect our communities with the wider Crescent area,” commented Councillor Mike McCusker, who is the Lead Member for Planning, Transport, and Sustainable Development at Salford City Council.

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“These essential works will enable us to continue towards our goal of developing a green walkway and high-quality public spaces, improving accessibility and encouraging active travel as well as creating employment and education opportunities across the Crescent area.”

Featured Image – Salford City Council

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