The Paul Beament Mouth Cancer Appeal is one of the leading fundraising arms of the Mouth Cancer Foundation. Kezia Beament's husband, Paul, passed away after being diagnosed with mouth cancer. Now Kez is raising awareness and funding in memory of her loved one. Email: kezia@mouthcancerfoundation.org

Paul Beament did not smoke or drink so when he was diagnosed with mouth cancer, in February 2004, it was a complete shock to both him and his wife, Kezia. Paul was 33, a keen sportsman and in general good health. He’d had some pain at the back of his mouth for a couple of weeks and in January he saw his dentist, imagining it to be a mouth ulcer or a wisdom tooth.

He was told it was a large mouth ulcer on the back of his tongue and an appointment would be made at the local dental hospital with a specialist to obtain antibiotics.

After not hearing anything for a fortnight, and the pain becoming worse Kezia drove him on the morning of Saturday 31 January to the local NHS Walk-in Centre to get a second opinion. After visiting there, and then a minor injury unit at the local hospital, they ended up visiting the on-call emergency dentist. Alarm bells rang and the on-call dentist called out a specialist who confirmed his fears. That afternoon mouth cancer entered Paul and Kezia’s lives.

Within 3 weeks Paul underwent a 12-hour operation to remove half of his tongue and reconstruct it with soft tissue taken from his forearm. He had a peg feeding tube fitted to provide nutrition directly into his stomach and a tracheotomy to help him breathe. As he was such a young, fit and determined patient, he didn’t use them other than 4 days immediately post-op. He was determined to fight the cancer and get back to his job as a Senior IT Consultant.

After recovering from the surgery, a 6-week course of radiotherapy followed, after which Paul and Kezia were told he was cancer free. Mid-June saw them mark their second wedding anniversary and Paul was hoping to return to work. However, by July the cancer was back but further surgery was impossible, so they faced months of chemotherapy.

Paul passed away in December 2004. He was 34. His widow, Kezia, is now doing all she can to promote awareness of mouth cancer.

Kezia says: “I want to help raise the awareness of mouth cancer. I want people to know the signs and if they have any symptoms to go and see their dentist. I think that everyone is aware of the risks of skin cancer these days and they know to keep an eye on moles and get them checked out if they alter. I want everyone to be just as aware of mouth cancer, so that they get to know the inside of their mouth and know what to do if they notice any changes. From our experience it is also clear that the profile needs to be raised among the medical and dental world as well. We saw 4 professionals before mouth cancer was suspected!”

“Paul was one of life’s genuine good guys. He was admired, respected and loved by many. Raising money for and helping the Mouth Cancer Foundation in Paul’s memory is one way I can ensure that Paul is never forgotten.”

Cycle Diary
Two physiotherapists, Tom Wainwright (24) and Mal Godtschailk (34), from the Royal Bournemouth Hospital got on their bikes to cycle from John O’Groats to Lands End in just 11 days – that is an average of nearly 90 miles a day! They risked sore bums in support of the Mouth Cancer Foundation. read more...

Memorial Cricket Match
The Paul Beament Memorial Cricket Match in Sidmouth was held on a glorious day with a pretty good turnout. Wristbands and t-shirts were sold to raise funds. For an account on the match results and flash animation of photographs, read more...