Health campaigners hand in petition to Downing Street

A GROOMBRIDGE worker diagnosed with cervical cancer in her early 20s joined an important health campaign group to present a petition at Downing Street last week.

Mellissa Crowley, who works as a receptionist at The Nook Surgery in Withyham Road had to undergo a radical hysterectomy when she was diagnosed with the disease in 2001.

On Wednesday March 18, she, Dr Chris Steele from ITV's This Morning and 20 other representatives of cancer charity Jo's Trust took a petition to the prime minister to push for the lowering of the minimum age for smear testing.

The day started with a protest in Parliament Square, and after the petition was delivered, balloons were released into the air in memory of women who have lost their lives to cervical cancer. Miss Crowley said: "It was amazing. It was emotional and inspirational, happy and sad all at once."

The Tunbridge Wells resident presented the petition with the help of the parents of Claire Walker Everett from Newcastle who died as a result of cervical cancer just a few months ago.

The petition highlighted that the basic age for a smear test should be lowered from 25 to 20.

Miss Crowley feels that the age group of 19 to 24-year-old women is left out when it comes to schemes to detect and combat cervical cancer.

She said the experience made her think about "how lucky" she was to be able to take part in the demonstration.