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• Mari Green
• Majorie Robinson

Mari Green

Standing at only five-foot-high, Mari was a formidable and driven woman, who inspired everyone she met throughout her life and career. Her donation to the Society for Endocrinology to help support members working in adrenal cancer will ensure that her impact is felt for years to come.

Even before she knew that her cancer was incurable, Mari Green and her husband decided to donate some money to support research in adrenal cancer. As a result of a donation given by her family and friends, the Society is very pleased to be able to mark her life with the Mari Green Adrenal Cancer Award.

Mari Green was born in 1947 in a welsh mining community in Carmarthenshire. She went to grammar school and her ambition was to be a doctor, however she was not encouraged in this ambition by her parents or the school. So instead she went into education, studying zoology and biology at a Teacher Training College in Cardiff. Mari then embarked on a career teaching biology and maths to secondary school students.

Mari retained her love of science and medicine throughout her life. She especially enjoyed TV science programmes and would always make sure she tuned in to anything fronted by Professor Lord Robert Winston.

Mari married a farmer and had two children, Adrian and Carys. Martin, Mari’s husband, would grow all their vegetables and Mari would turn them into nutritional meals. She was passionate about healthy eating and knowing what you put into your body and its effect.

When Mari retired from full time teaching in her mid-fifties, she started working with prisoners to help them with basic English and Maths or if they were looking to pass their GCSEs as part of their rehabilitation.

When Mari retired completely, she took up cycling as a way of keeping fit and combating osteoporosis. So, it was really sad when, in the Autumn of 2020, she began to feel unwell. Following delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t until May 2021 that Mari was diagnosed in with Cushing’s Syndrome and a benign tumour on her adrenal gland. Mari was treated by Society member, Professor Miles Levy at Leicester Royal Infirmary and built a strong rapport both with him and the nursing team there. Miles recognized that Mari was very interested in knowing in more detail about her condition and how it was affecting her body and ensured that she was given as much information as she wanted.

Mari started her treatment in July 2021, which included surgery to remove the benign tumour. She was told that it would take six months to recover fully, but in the spring of 2022, she started to feel that her Cushing’s symptoms were worsening. A second tumour was discovered which had grown in the same site on her adrenal gland, however this time it was malignant and would necessitate a stronger course of treatment. At this point Mari was referred to Dr Ruth Casey at Addenbrookes, who Mari was also captivated by. Mari initially had oral chemotherapy, and also agreed to take part in a clinical trial, which was a direct result of her love of science.

At the end of August 2022, Mari started on an intense course of chemotherapy. After three rounds she was unfortunately too weak to continue with the treatment and chemotherapy was halted. Mari sadly passed away in July 2023. It is important to say that she remained very positive throughout her illness, retained her determination to continue to eat healthily and always had a smile for visitors, despite how poorly she felt.

Even before she knew that her cancer was incurable, Mari and her husband decided that they wanted to donate some money to the department who looked after her, to be used towards research or however it was felt it could be best used. Professor Levy suggested that the Society for Endocrinology would be best placed to use this donation to support those working in adrenal cancer.

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