Meet the Team

Debbie McCartney

Founder

Debbie became involved with the Bone Cancer Research Trust following the sad passing of her daughter Stephanie in 2003 following a battle with osteosarcoma. To this present day, Stephanie’s family still support our work in Stephanie's memory.

Professor Ian J. Lewis

Founder

Ian was a Medical Director at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, and previously a Consultant Paediatric Oncologist in Leeds from 1985. Ian also undertook a number of senior leadership roles including Deputy Medical Director; and Associate Medical Director for Children’s Strategy for NHS Yorkshire and Humber. He has a number of national roles and responsibilities. He is a member of both the Department of Health Payment by Results Clinical Advisory Group; and the National Clinical Advisory Team.

In January 2012, Ian was appointed as co-Chair of the National Children and Young People’s Healthcare Outcomes Forum with the remit to advise the Secretary of State about how to improve healthcare outcomes for children and young people. Ian remains active in clinical research, particularly clinical trials and health services research and he has a national and international reputation within paediatric and adolescent oncology.

Professor Rob Grimer

Founder

Rob was one of the founding Trustees of the Bone Cancer Research Trust and is Professor of Orthopaedic Oncology at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham. He is one of the world's leading authorities on sarcoma, and has helped pioneer the use of extendable prostheses and the use of new surgical techniques such as irradiation and re-implantation of bone to treat sarcoma.

Gill Callar

Founder

Our daughter Emma was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2001. She spent two years fighting this terrible cancer. Talking with other parents we felt something needed to be done. We were told research had been very slow on primary bone cancer. Watching your child – how ever old – battle this unrelenting disease; amputation, chemotherapy, thoracotomy, it’s endless... it still comes back.

Why wouldn’t you want to help make a difference? After lots of talking, tears and research we all got together to push on with the road to research. Our involvement with the birth of this charity is something we felt we should do in the memory of Emma.

Nick Bones

Founder

Being there at the start of the charity made me very proud. I just wanted to put something back and help promote awareness of bone cancer. I was very much aware that things hadn’t changed much since my diagnosis in 1987 and this needed to change. Knowing that I have had some input in the success of the charity gives me great pleasure. Read Nick's story.

Teresa Thompson

Founding Member

Teresa became involved with the Bone Cancer Research Trust when the Joseph Thompson Bone Cancer Trust became one of our founding members. Joseph sadly passed away in June 2003 at just 12 years old following a battle with osteosarcoma.

Lin Carvell

Founder

We lost our daughter Jennifer to bone cancer in August 2003 after an 8 month battle. At that time there was very little support or contact with other affected families due to the rarity of this cancer. We felt very alone and helpless. The treatment available back in 2003 was very limited with a poor success rate, and we knew at that point that something had to be done to help others in the future to overcome this debilitating, horrendous cancer. After the passing of our daughter we were determined to help other families and patients in the future as we didn’t want others going through what we had. We were determined that our daughter’s passing was not going to be in vain.

Patricia Smith

Founder

Patricia had raised a considerable amount for primary bone cancer research over a number of years before the decision to establish the Bone Cancer Research Trust was made. She then joined in with the charity's founding and became one of the first trustees. Patricia’s daughter, Krystle, sadly passed away following a battle with Ewing sarcoma in 2002. Since Krystle’s passing, her family have made a huge contribution towards research into Ewing sarcoma.

Patrick Hardman

Founder

Patrick became a Founding Trustee of the Bone Cancer Research Trust following the sad passing of his son Christopher, who is pictured here, to osteosarcoma in 2004. Patrick was Deputy Chair of the Bone Cancer Research Trust for 12 months and acted as a Trustee for 8 years, making an invaluable contribution to the charity.

He and his family went on to establish the Christopher Hardman Osteosarcoma Research Fund (CHORF) and to raise a great deal of funds for and awareness of our work.

Gill Johnston

Founder and Trustee

My son, Anthony, was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in April 2001. He started fundraising whilst going through his treatment. Sadly he lost his battle in October 2002. After his death, I continued with his fundraising and registered the Anthony Pilcher Bone Cancer Trust.

I am incredibly proud to also be a founder and active trustee of the Bone Cancer Research Trust. Anthony wanted to ensure that at some stage in the future, children and young adults would have earlier diagnosis, better drugs and improved survival rates. I will endeavour to carry out his wishes (and mine) to the best possible end.

Mike and Ros Francis

Founder and Former Clerk to the Trustees

Mike and Ros Francis played a large part in the start of the charity in their roles of a Founding Trustee and the first Chairman for five years (Mike) and Clerk to the Trustees for seven years (Ros). Their involvement began after losing their son Guy to osteosarcoma. Guy raised thousands of pounds specifically for research into bone cancer whilst in remission.

Professor Ian Lewis, who had treated him knew this and invited Mike and Ros with four other families in the same situation to consider starting a charity. Eighteen months later the Bone Cancer Research Trust became a registered charity. As parents, having experienced the agonies and joys of Guy’s cancer journey with him, Mike and Ros found it really positive to help establish the Bone Cancer Research Trust and look forward to seeing what the future holds for the charity...