THE SCREW CANCER STORY

The story of how the Screw Cancer charity came into being is really William’s story. 

William's Story.

William Yeoward was a designer living and working in London. He was successful and busy. And then, his life was interrupted by a cancer diagnosis. 

William experienced many emotions when he was first diagnosed - mainly confusion and a dose of fear... unsure of what exactly was going to happen next. This was life without a map! 

“I was sent home with information that was not clear. It's not that anyone wasn’t helpful, informative or without care. It was simply that I was muddled and vital information seemed to be everywhere but not in one place”.

William felt that there needed to be a modern solution - an app where you could store all the key information specific to you and your cancer, uploaded to your phone and/or tablet. This would replace confusion with clarity and give the patient back a sense of control. He felt such an app would offer patients a vital tool to find their way through their own particular maze. William’s experience, and the experience of many other cancer patients, is that understanding helps to bring a degree of peace and positivity – and that is what puts you in a good place to take on the challenges of living with cancer. 

William’s great idea, supported by the generosity of many individual donors, including the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, and the time and dedication of a board of Trustees selected by William, brought The Screw Cancer charity into being in 2016. 

Since that time the app has gone through two phases of development with William’s initial idea at the very heart. Thanks to the support of our donors the app is free to download. 

The Screw Cancer app launched in late 2018 and was initially developed to support colorectal cancer patients. Phase II of the app has seen the addition of support for 11 more cancer types and a new name – The Cancer App. 

True to William’s vision, the Cancer App is personal to the patient and those close to them. A quick swipe and up comes key information – vital contacts, medical appointments, details on medication and when to take it, plus information specific to 12 major cancer types, as well as links to reputable sources of help, such as who to call if you are worried, scared or just feeling low.
Ultimately, the ambition is to fulfil William’s dream – to offer support to every cancer patient and to help them “navigate an adjusted life”.

William Yeoward died on 18th June 2019.  The world lost an inspiring and very special human being.  He left behind a legacy that only he could have built and a vital part of that legacy is Screw Cancer.  

Thank you William.