THE MYTON Hospice is one of the charities to benefit from a racehorse syndicate.
Racehorse breeder and devoted dad Peter Pritchard is putting one of his horses up for syndication in memory of his daughter Katie who died from cervical cancer earlier this year.
Profits from the syndication of one of Old Gold Racing’s mares will be divided between the Lady Garden Foundation, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and The Myton Hospice where Katie spent her last days.
Having spotted a lump in January 2022, 37-year old Katie reached out to her local GP for a check-up, ultimately being told it may be a result of the Covid-19 vaccine, or an undiagnosed STI. It was only after Katie, an NHS nurse manager herself, self-referred herself to a gynaecologist for a second opinion that she found out the devastating news that the lump was actually a symptom of cervical cancer.
After receiving her diagnosis, Katie had to wait an additional three months for her treatment plan to begin, allowing the cancer to further spread. After a course of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and brachytherapy in the spring, initially, the cancer responded positively to the treatment.
However, in December 2022, after further scans, Katie was told the cancer had returned, and that she only had a few months left to live. Katie passed away six months later in June this year.
Those interested in helping the Pritchards raise funds for the cause can do so by committing to a one-off £60 fee for the first syndicate term of Katie Sunny Dancer.
Katie’s Legacy Syndicate aims to have 2,000 members.
By putting up the mare for syndication, Old Gold Racing hopes to raise £40,000 for charity, of which half will be donated to the Lady Garden Foundation. The gynaecological cancer charity is on a mission to dismantle taboos, raise awareness about the five silent killers and gather funds for much-needed research.
The remaining £20,000 funds will be directed to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, a charity focused on raising awareness about cervical screenings, the HPV vaccine, cell changes and cervical cancer – and on providing support services to people, like the Pritchard family, affected by cervical cancer.
In addition, Old Gold Racing will also be committing a further £9,000 of its fee towards The Myton Hospice.
Peter said: “While nothing can replace the void Katie’s passing has left behind, we want to honour her life and her story by spreading awareness about this deadly disease, which so many disregard the early signs of.
“By combining Katie’s love of horses with our ambition to make a difference, we hope ‘Katie’s Sunny Dancer’ will contribute to the advancement of research into cervical cancer, so others do not have to go through Katie’s ordeal.”
To find out more visit oldgoldracing.com/horses/katie-sunny-dancer
