Readers support our campaign

Oct 14 2010 Buckinghamshire Advertiser

JEN'S Final Wish has sparked a flurry of feedback from readers in the week since the campaign was launched.

Members of the public wrote to us in droves following our heart-breaking story of recently married 24-year-old Jen Goodridge's battle with cervical cancer, eager to lend their support to the campaign to raise awareness about the HPV vaccine for 12 and 13-year-old girls and to reduce the compulsory age for screening from 25 years to 20.

* Here are some of the responses:

I would like to be added to the campaign to get the age to 20.

Jodie Narraway

I would like to sign a petition. I hope you get lots of signatures.

Nicola Brown

I want to support the appeal. Koulla Joannou

I would like my name added to the Jen's Final Wish campaign. Jen was a school friend of my sister.

Kim Scales

I'm emailing to show my support for the campaign for the smear test age being brought down to 20. I am 20 years old, and I think it would be beneficial for all woman of my age to have this done, to either put our minds at rest or at least to warn us early.

Hannah Larsen

I would like to show my support for Jen's Final Wish campaign.

Vicky Benning

I am one of Kirsty Scale's friends and I agree that the age for cervical screening should be lowered.

Tina Jordan

I agree that the age for smear tests should be brought down to 20. 24 is far too young to lose your life when a simple test may have saved it.

Tanya Thomas

Hi, I am emailing to support Jen's Final Wish campaign. I remember Jen as a bubbly schoolgirl and she has died far too young.

Chris Hillfarm

As one of Jen's friend's parents, I remember a young vibrant girl, whose life has been needlessly cut short. I fully back the campaign to lower the smear test age in England to 20.

Derek Scales

Hi, I am emailing to support Jen's Final Wish campaign. Jen was one of my oldest friends and I saw what she went through with her battle with cancer so I want to support this campaign.

Kirsty Claire

I would like to protest against the age of a smear test.

Surely the NHS money would be better spent with preventative medicine and if the smear test was lowered many many more lives saved.

Melissa Rahaman

Having just read the article in the Examiner, I felt compelled to email to back the campaign.

Until Jade Goody was taken by cervical cancer I had no idea that it affected people as young as early-to-mid twenties. It is vital that in this modern day and age when girls are losing their virginity much earlier than ever that the smear test age is reduced to at least 20.

I urge politicians to revisit this so England can be consistent with the rest of the UK. With two young girls of my own to think about, armed with the knowledge the article has given me, I would go so far as to obtain an earlier routine smear test privately if, by the time they reach 20, the smear test age has not been reduced.

While some of the reasoning of the current age being 25 is possibly due to cost, what cost is comparable to that of lives saved?

Sara Kent

Please add me to the campaign to lower the cervical screening age from 25 to 20.

Sophie Puddephatt.

* If you would like to back the campaign, please email: lawrencepoole@trinitysouth.co.uk