Hi everyone and thanks for visiting this page.
On the left is a brave little girl recovering from having one of her eyes removed, having been diagnosed with retinoblastoma - cancer of the retina. This particular type of cancer is the most common type of eye cancer amongst children . On average 50-70 children will be diagnosed each year in the UK. Thankfully - due it no small part to the tireless work done by the good people at The Royal London Hospital - it also has one of the best recovery rates of any child's cancer, with more than 96 % make a full recovery.
A close friend of mine works very closely with all these children on a daily basis, helping them cope with the trauma of losing a eye, coping with chemotherapy, radiotherapy etc. at a tender age. So when I decided to dust off my running shoes and do a half marathon, I couldn't help but remember her stories about the children who must deal with regular hospital visits, treatments, sight loss and adjusting to having an artificial eye. The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) is a charity that is dedicated to helping the children and families cope with their diagnosis, treatment and aftermath. The funds that I will be raising will be used to directly help support families, raise awareness and funding research projects that go to further help the development of Retinoblastoma. Due to fantastic work at CHECT, who work closely the retinoblastoma team at The Royal London Hospital, most of the children are able to be diagnosed due to the awareness campaigns that inform the public on the signs and symptoms of Retinoblastoma. The most common sign is called Leucocoria which is a white pupil reflection seen in photos:
(See second Photo)
For further information please go to http://www.chect.org.uk/
This is why I have decided to help the CHECT in my own small way - by dragging my excessive-drinking and long-term smoking body round 20km of Windsor countryside, and hoping that you will sponsor me to do so, and in so doing will be relieving some of the suffering experienced by these kids, and making my own suffering worthwhile at least! So please give generously for a more than worthwhile cause.
Thank you.
Matt Smith
