It started 3 years ago in 2007, when Tom was diagnosed with cancer in his back. After many tests and consultations it was decided Tom should take a course of chemotherapy lasting for several months in University College Hospital in London and, if it worked, an operation would follow. The results seemed positive and the operation went ahead as planned. After the 9 hour operation two exhausted surgeons and Tom emerged successful. After a course of radiotherapy to get rid of it once and for all we thought Tom had won his battle against cancer, something many people sadly don't.

As Tom couldn't take his A levels properly in the summer of 2007 because of the chemotherapy he took another year at six form in St Joe's. He got the grades to go to Uni and that September went to UEA in Norwich to study Business. While he was there he started getting chest pains and it transpired cancer had returned to his lung. We went back to UCH that November to start chemotherapy again. Due to the schedule, we spent Christmas in London with Tom. Tom started to experience headaches, tests showed the cancer had travelled to his head and we were told that even with their best efforts the outlook wasn't good. Two months later, on the 1st May 2009, Tom died in the peace of our own home.

We have established the Tom Roden Cancer Research Fund in his memory to raise funds for research at the UCL Cancer Institute.   

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