The Story..

Grant Battle was born in Sheffield in 1973. At the age of 5yrs Grant was diagnosed with Leukemia and treatment started at the Sheffield Children's Hospital.

Grant had three years of treatment, which included chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the early stages, but unfortunately relapsed. After a year off treatment he had a very servere case of chicken pox and pneumonia and was in isolation at the Thornbury annexe Hospital Sheffield. A number of years passed when Grant relapsed again this time having Shingles, which paralyzed the left side of Grant's face, disfiguring his left ear and face, also causing 95% hearing loss to his right ear. Grant was treated in Llodge Moor isolation hospital in Sheffield as well as the Sheffield Children's Hospital.

Further years passed with relative good health until Grant was 11 years old, when he was put forward for a bone marrow transplant at the Sheffield children's hospital, this would give Grant the chance of a new life.  

It was Grants sister Catherine who was found to be a good match for the bone marrow transplant

Grant had 6 hours of full body radiation before the new bone marrow was transplanted, and spent 4 weeks in isolation undergoing the transplant. The result was a success and grant gained good health and the following years passed until grant was diagnosed with cataracts at the age of 18 years. One cataract was removed at the Hallamshire hospital in 1989 the other was left until a later date.

In 1996 Grant was diagnosed with a Brain tumor after a brain scan at the Chesterfield Royal Hospital. The tumor was removed at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield but Grant endured many months of rehabilitation to recover, Grant has to go every three years to have a MRI Scan to see if there are any futher tumors.

In 2002 grant was diagnosed with two Basel cell carcinomas (skin cancer) on his forehead at the Sheffield Hallamshire hospital. The operation was carried out at Chesterfield Royal Hospital and in 2006 had the second operation at the Sheffield Northern General Hospital by a plastic surgeon.

Grant had a skin graft, which failed to heal, due to blood vessels in Grants forehead having been reduced by the radiation treatment that Grant had years before. This caused the slowing down of the blood flow to the skin graft and it has take 5 months of dressing to the area for the wound to heal.

It is very possible that both brain tumor and skin cancer have been caused due to the high levels of radiation that Grant was given when under for the treatment of Leukemia.

Grant has to cope to day with a number of medical problems; he has to keep taking many different medications, which he will have to do for the rest of his life. But his determination to stride forward as his life is centered around, first his animals and then his ceramics.

In May 2009 Grant was diagnosed with two Basel cell carcinomas (skin Cancer) on the top of his head, (after being seen by his plastic surgeon, Mr Caddy, at the Northern General hospital in Sheffield) where he was previously seen two years ago and underwent surgery to remove one from his forehead. Grant will have to attend an appointment to make arrangements in September to undergo surgery to remove the skin cancer.

February 2010 Grant attended Bassetlaw Hospital Worksop for the treatment for two Basel Cell Carcinomas,(Skin Cancer) Grant had treatment called photodynamic therapy instead of surgery.
A second treatment was needed in the June 2010 as previous treatment was only successful on one Superficial Carcinomas but failed to completely treat the Nodular Carcinomas.
Grant Had to wait three month to find out the results.


December 2010
In December I was in discomfort due to an Ulcer on the edge of my tongue.
At first I thought it was caused by a tooth rubbing against the tongue.
I had an appointment to see Mr Yousefpour at the Charles Clifford Hospital Sheffield
where tests revealed a SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA of  my tongue.
The decision was to have surgery, I was also told I would have to have my
LYMPH GLANDS removed from the left side of my neck.
I was not looking forward to the surgery and going back into hospital, 
I was in a state of shock!. The operation was scheduled for the 14th April 2011.                           
I had lots of support from Louise Marley, Clinical Nurse Specialist for HEAD AND NECK.
It was a great help being able to ask lots of questions about all aspects of the procedure and even to being showed the ward where I would be staying.

April 2011
My operation went very well and I was fortunate not to have a tracheotomy or the need for a graft on my tongue, which reduced the time i needed to stay in hospital. After a few weeks the results showed that there was no further Cancer present and it had not spread to the Lymph Glands.
I would like to thank the wonderful skill and understanding of Mr Yousefpour and the team of Doctors and Nurses on the Ward I1, Royal Hallamshire Hospital  Sheffield
I was so Very relieved to hear such Wonderful news and was able to get back to caring for all the animals at Hillberry Farm.


September 2012
Writing this on Grant's website is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. It is with great great sadness that I tell you that Grant passed away on  March 2nd 2012 at Ashgate Hospice. The Cancer spread to his voice box and chemotherapy was not successful this time. Grant's Father Jeff and Mother Hazel were by his side as was I when he peacfully left this earth. Grant's love and dedication to his animals was second to none despite suffering with illness for so many years. He is and always will be an inspiration and all the family and friends who love him will remember him with joy and thanks for being so blessed to have known him.
''You will live on inside our hearts forever,
Your loving Sister Catherine xx ''