The dying wish of a well-known St Andrews dance teacher has been fulfilled following the presentation of more than £11,800 to help fund a revolutionary ‘cold cap’ treatment for chemotherapy patients at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
The money was raised by pupils, friends and families of Jenny King’s Academy of Dance (JKDA) in St Andrews, during what turned out to be the last ever performance at the Byre Theatre before it closed last January.
The charity dance performance entitled Mind Body and Soul only went ahead at the Byre after “selfless” theatre staff who had been told just days earlier they were to be made redundant agreed to volunteer their time.
Jenny King, who ran Jenny King’s Academy of Dance in St Andrews for 33 years, died in February aged 62 just weeks after the charity show brought the curtain down at the Byre.
By coincidence, on the day Byre staff were told they were losing their jobs, Jenny was told her cancer was terminal.
JKDA is now being managed by Jenny’s daughter Jemma, 30, a professional dancer who moved back to Fife from London to care for her mother.
She told The Courier that it was her late mother’s wish that the money raised should go towards purchasing a new Cold Cap Unit for chemotherapy patients at ward 32.
Jemma, of Strathkinness, said: “Scalp cooling is a treatment offered to some chemotherapy patients to help prevent the hair loss which is a side-effect of chemo.
“When she asked her care team about it she was told that it wasn’t offered because there was only one double unit for all the patients … she may not be able to receive scalp cooling if other patients were using it on the same day.
“However, fortunately for my mum, the unit was available so she was able to receive the scalp cooling treatment.
“She was so thrilled with the results that she felt passionate that as many people as possible should be able to benefit from it. After three sessions of chemotherapy my mum didn’t lose her hair, which really gave her a sense of dignity.”
On learning that this was what her mum wanted to fundraise for, Jemma contacted Claire Paxman of Paxman Coolers through the Cool Head Warm Heart Campaign and learned £10,000 would be needed.
Jemma added: “This seemed like a phenomenal amount but we were determined to achieve this. As my mum was such an outstanding member of the St Andrews community and through her dance school had touched the lives of many families, people were overwhelming in their support of our campaign.
“It gives me great pleasure that we managed to fulfil my mum’s wishes and that she knew we had reached the £10,000 goal before she passed away earlier this year.”
* On June 21 and 22, JKDA will be holding its next performance, the Great British Dance Off, at the Gardyne Theatre in Dundee. Money raised will be donated to St Andrews Community Hospital for the benefit of the hospice care patients.