Star-Studded Bollywood Ball and DigniCap® Help to Boot Out Breast Cancer By Providing NHS Hospitals with State-of-the-Art Technology
Celebrity Patrons Dame Sarah Storey DBE and Alan Shearer OBE Support Breast Cancer Charity’s Latest Mission to Help Cancer Patients Avoid Chemo-related Hair Loss
MANCHESTER (11 March, 2014)—The charity organisation Boot Out Breast Cancer held its annual fundraising event, the Bollywood Ball, this weekend to provide National Health Service Hospitals with state-of-the-art medical equipment that provides cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy with an oncologist-preferred alternative to chemo-related hair loss.
Celebrity patrons of the charity such as Dame Sarah Storey DBE, Alan Shearer OBE, and The Right Honourable Andy Burnham MP, joined 530 guests in Manchester on the evening of Saturday, 8 March, to support Boot Out Breast Cancer founder Debbie Dowie with her latest mission to provide NHS hospitals with the DigniCap® System.
The DigniCap® System, developed by Dignitana, a world leader in scalp-cooling technology, is a safe, gentle and effective treatment for avoiding hair loss related to chemotherapy. The product has been clinically tested and chosen by several leading private clinics in the UK, and is the preferred choice by an increasing number of NHS Trusts.
Overall, the evening raised in excess of £125,000 to provide NHS hospitals with the latest medical technology—donations continue to flow in following the success of the event. Funds raised will be used most immediately to support installation of the DigniCap® System at NHS facilities in London and Cheshire.
Boot Out Breast Cancer was founded by breast cancer survivor Debbie Dowie in 2010. One aspect of breast cancer care that resonated strongly with Mrs. Dowie was the emotional devastation faced by many cancer patients at the prospect of losing their hair during chemotherapy. She travelled the UK and US to learn more about medical devices that prevent chemotherapy-related hair loss, but was dismayed to discover that most were difficult to use and very uncomfortable. When she learned about the clinically-tested DigniCap® System that oncologists and patients alike preferred, she quickly mobilized to bring the technology to NHS hospitals.
“We are truly grateful for the enthusiastic and generous support from our donors and friends at this year’s Bollywood Ball,” said Mrs. Dowie. “In my visits with cancer patients and their oncologists in the US and across the UK, I’ve heard unreserved praise for the DigniCap® System. These fundraising efforts will help us make a real difference in the lives of cancer patients in our communities.”
“My own experience with breast cancer taught me that is essential to have confidence not only in yourself, but in your medical team and the treatments they recommend as well,” said Mrs. Dowie. “We want to ensure that anyone with a cancer diagnosis has access to the highest quality cancer care available today, including access to the leading technology to prevent chemotherapy-related hair loss—no matter which hospital provides their care.”
The DigniCap® System continuously monitors scalp temperature to ensure comfort and consistent application of the treatment, and is the only system to offer scalp-cooling above freezing with patented, built-in temperature sensors and a precision cooling mechanism that allows for gradual and highly tolerable temperature fluctuations.
“Debbie Dowie is truly making a mark on the world with Boot Out Breast Cancer and the Bollywood Ball,” said Martin Waleij, CEO of Dignitana, maker of the DigniCap® System. “We are pleased that she has enlisted the support of so many influential figures in this generous charity initiative. It is exciting to see that leading oncologists are recognizing DigniCap® as the preferred technology, and we are truly honoured to partner with such a respected and effective charity organisation.”
“We had an extraordinary turnout for this year’s Bollywood Ball, and we’re grateful for all of the meaningful support,” Mrs. Dowie concluded. “Our goal is to keep the fundraising momentum going throughout the year. We hope everyone will continue to donate to further our critical mission.”
For more information on how to support Boot Out Breast Cancer, please visit http://www.bootoutbreastcancer.org.uk/.
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Media Contacts:
Caren Browning Debbie Dowie
The King + Company PR Boot Out Breast Cancer
00 1 212 561-7464 + 44 7803 253 133
Caren.browning@kingcompr.com debbie@bootoutbreastcancer.org.uk
Media Contact Sweden
Martin Waleij
CEO Dignitana AB
+46 733 937076
Dignitana’s business concept is to develop, manufacture and market a medical device primarily used for scalp cooling, to eliminate or greatly reduce chemotherapy induced hair loss.
The company is listed at Stockholm stock exchange NASDAQ OMX First North since December 1, 2011, with Erik Penser Bankaktiebolag as Certified Advisor.
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