Published on: Thursday 15 Feb 2018 at 13:09
‘Cancer and Bling’ an inspiring biography
Russell, a businessman from Chigwell, has fulfilled his wife Lisa’s wish to publish her inspiring biography to help other cancer patients, following her death.
Russell Brenner published Lisa Brenner’s biography ‘Cancer and Bling’ in January 2018 with a portion of the profits from book sales being donated to St Clare where Lisa received care from February to May 2016. The remaining profits will be split between two other charities close to Lisa’s heart, the Helen Rollason cancer charity and Isabel Hospice.
Lisa Brenner was first diagnosed with cancer in 1996 at the age of just 31 years, shortly after the birth of her son Marc. Lisa lived through cancer for more than 20 years, using her experience to also campaign for better treatment and raising awareness of the need for early diagnosis. Lisa was also instrumental in successfully campaigning for the drug Herceptin to be made available on the NHS, even appearing on Sky TV News whilst having chemotherapy in 2000.
Lisa was cared for by St Clare’s Hospice at Home team in her own home, as well as spending time on their Inpatient Unit in Hastingwood in May 2016. Lisa Brenner died on 3rd May 2017 at the age of 52 years.
Lisa wrote about her experience with cancer right from her first diagnosis, with the intention to inspire other people living with cancer to ‘not give up’ and it is these writings which form her inspirational biography. Russell Brenner said:
“Lisa was going through hell but she never let cancer win. Lisa won. She was happy, never miserable, and I think that’s the reason she lived for so many years after first being diagnosed. Lisa was very glitzy and glamorous, and she loved life. She loved anything sparkly! That’s why her book is called ‘Cancer and Bling’. Lisa would always put her make up on, get dressed, and go out and do whatever she wanted to do.”
“Now, less a year on from Lisa’s death, I have published her book – as Lisa asked me to. She was writing about her fight with cancer right from the very start – to help and inspire other people with cancer. Lisa wanted her experience to benefit others and to inspire them to stay strong and live life to the full. I hope that her readers will find the book a beacon of hope and that her bravery and glamorous approach to her illness will serve as an inspirational tale to all of us who face obstacles in life.”
Commenting on the care Lisa and Russell received from St Clare Hospice, Russell Brenner said:
“St Clare’s was one of the highlights of Lisa’s time in care. St Clare is like an extended member of your family. Everybody that works or volunteers at the Hospice, genuinely cares about what they do and you just love them from the minute you meet them. St Clare’s is beautiful – the grounds, the rooms and the garden. Lisa and I would sit out on the patio in the garden together, which was lovely. I think that what St Clare’s does is absolutely incredible. My over-riding memory of St Clare would have to be, that you always had somebody there to talk to. I knew that if I had a problem with anything, I could ask. I didn’t feel like I was alone.”
To read Russell’s full story, visit here: https://stclarehospice.org.uk/care/stories/
Buy ‘Cancer and Bling’
Lisa Brenner’s biography ‘Cancer and Bling’ is available to purchase for £9.99 in St Clare Hospice’s shops. Surplus profits, after the publication costs, will be split between St Clare Hospice, the Helen Rollason cancer charity and Isabel Hospice.
You can order the book online here: https://projectypublishing.com/pre-order-cancer-and-bling/