Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
I'm hoping to scale the 4,800m summit of Mont Blanc on Friday 9th July, 2010. I will be accompanied by my old mountain mate Trevor Riddiough, his 18 year old son Dai and my 21 year old step son Graham. Clearly the younger members of the party will be anxious that the the lean, nubile 50-somethings will forge ahead and reach the top first. So Trevor and I have decided we will feign utter exhaustion and allow them to drag us up on a very tight rope. We will be ably guided by Wolfgang of Mountain Spirit guides http://www.mountain-spirit-guides.com/about-us.asp.
I've chosen The Mouth Cancer Foundation as my charity. Obviously, as a dentist, I am all too aware of the effects that cancer of the mouth, head and neck can have. However, my distant, professional connection has recently been surpassed by a more personal connection with this disease. I now have two friends and colleagues who have both been diagnosed with cancer of the mouth.
One is John Barry, who many of you will know as the founder of the The Dental Plan. John was treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil four years' ago. A more energetic and positive person would be hard to find, and his successful treatment demonstrates the value of putting money into the research and training required to treat this disease.
The other is my trusted financial adviser Stephen Mills. He was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue just a few days after returning from a skiing trip to Chamonix this Easter. Stephen, like me, sees the Chamonix Valley as his spiritual home. Have a look at his blog for some insights and inspiration on this difficult issue www.stephen-tonguetalk.blogspot.com.
Not being a natural athlete, I have found the training programme for this event a bit arduous, or should I call it a 'challenge' (which, for Graham and I, will include the Chamonix Cross - a 14 mile trail run with 1300m of ascent http://www.montblancmarathon.fr/index.php?rub=&langue=an). However, I recognise this 'challenge' to climb the highest peak in Europe over 2 days is but a fraction of the daily physical and emotional challenges those with cancer have to overcome, never mind their families. Thinking of this will help me as I stop and gasp for breath for the umpteenth time!
Please give as much as you can to help improve our understanding of mouth cancer, its treatment, prevention and after-care. For me, the numbers of people supporting me is just as important as the final figure, so just donating £1 will make a big difference. THANK YOU!
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
Love and best wishes
Andy Toy
