A Cambridgeshire mum who campaigns to raise awareness of the life-changing harm of plastic surgical mesh implants has been awarded a £20,000 grant to continue her work.
Kath Sansom, from the town of March, has been named a winner of the 2024 Tenacious Campaigner Awards, which supports campaigners working to right an injustice.
She launched the Sling the Mesh campaign almost a decade ago.
It began in 2015 with 20 members on her Facebook support group and now has almost 11,000 from around the world.
The former journalist for this newspaper group has also succeeded in getting one type of mesh suspended, another banned and has pushed for a series of regulatory reforms.
Last month, it was revealed 140 women harmed by the vaginal mesh implants had been successful in a group settlement against three manufacturers and will receive a payout.
Kath said: “Receiving the Tenacious Campaigner Award is an incredible honour.
“This recognition not only highlights the importance of our fight but also fuels my determination to push for lasting change in the arena of patient safety.
“I don’t want my children and grandchildren to suffer as we all have.
“We must not have another mesh scandal where innocent people are harmed from healthcare treatments then face a brick wall of denial.”
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The award is a prestigious recognition, celebrating exceptional individuals who have shown extraordinary skill and determination in their fight against injustice and for driving meaningful societal change.
Kath was among 10 campaigners who will each receive £20,000 from the scheme.
Their varied campaigning efforts range from aiming to abolish residential leasehold tenures in England and Wales to ending the imprisonment of pregnant women.
The winners will attend a prize giving event in London on September 25, with an opportunity to meet the awardees and network with other professionals across the fields of campaigning, law, journalism, and philanthropy.
For more information about the awardees and their campaigns, visit www.tenaciousawards.org.
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