Brave Chris on the road to recovery

A popular children’s nurse, who has undergone specialist surgery to try and free him of cancer of the larynx, is showing good signs of recovery after an operation in which his voicebox was removed.Chris Harrison, of West Lynn, underwent surgery last Tuesday at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and this week, his sister Sharon Harrison said he was looking well.“He had the operation on August 13 and when he came round from the anaesthetic he looked really well considering what he’d been through,” said Sharon, who has thanked everyone for the great response she has received to her GoFundMe fundraising page.

Speaking on Tuesday, she said: “Yesterday was the first day with all the drains out and he was sitting up in the chair and looking so much better. We are really
pleased with how things are progressing.”Sharon’s fundraising page is to provide equipment for her brother to give him his voice back following the operation which doctors believe is the only way to free him of the cancer which returned following three earlier surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.The operation included a Tracheoesophageal Puncture (TEP). This is a procedure which will allow Chris to speak after a total laryngectomy by creating a small hole in the wall between the trachea and oesophagus and inserting a one-way-valve called a tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis (TEP). The TEP directs air from the lungs into the oesophagus, causing the walls to vibrate and produce a voice. It’s the most common way to restore speech after a laryngectomy, but it is not always successful.It is hoped this will allow Chris to have a voice and the GoFundMe was launched to provide Chris with the technology and speech aids he needs to help his recovery so he can go back to doing the job he
loves. Following the surgery, Sharon said Chris was communicating via Makaton, a form of sign language, which he had learned and used in his work as lead nurse in children’s day surgery at King’s Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.He also has a new phone with the latest AI phone technology. Using AI will also provide voice banking which will help Chris immensely, Sharon explained.“He knows Makaton but we are having to learn it quite quickly,” said Sharon, who is £8,000 towards her £10,000 fundraising total. “The GoFundMe has gone really well. We’ve got just over £8,000 which is great and we’ve had so much support from friends, relatives and also people we don’t even know,” she said.Lynn woman Sandra Auker contacted Your Local Paper this week to tell us about a fundraising disco she is organising for Chris on September 15 at Lynn’s Working Men’s Club in Church Street from 3pm to 8pm.The disco, which is open to all, will be by Scott Pearman and his Soundbytes Disco plus guest DJ Mark Christie.The club has offered the hall free of charge and Sandra is hoping if Chris is well enough, he will come along. “Everyone knows Chris. I know him personally but my granddaughter was in hospital in the children’s ward and he was so kind.“He put himself out for us, he really went above and beyond. I’ve also got to know him as a friend.“He makes everyone feel at ease. I was worried about my granddaughter and Chris talked us through it.“He was brilliant,” said Sandra, who added Chris was also on hand to give reassurance when another young family member had what is known as a floppy larynx – a birth defect which can make it difficult for babies to breathe. “He does so much for others, now it’s time others did the same for him,” she said.Tickets for ‘Disco for Chris’ are £5 in advance and £7 on the door and they go on sale from Sunday.Sandra is also looking to hold a raffle and is asking for prizes.For ticket and raffle prize donations contact Sandra on 07720 005866 or call into the working men’s club. Chris is a well-loved and devoted children’s nurse with more than 25 years’ service. He has helped many local children and families through difficult
times.He is also well known for his own fundraising efforts for the QEH and was featured in the TV documentary series “Inside the Operating Theatre”.To donate in support of Chris and his journey back to health. visit the fundraising page at www.gofundme.com and search for Chris Harrison.