Covid has meant that life has taken on a very different form, so I (Chris' mum), and  his brother Rich, have decided to challenge ourselves during these extraordinary times and raise money for Sarcoma UK.  We’re going to join the “virtual world” and between us complete a relay.  Rich is walking, I'm walking (along with my virtual dog Woofz !) and sometimes cycling. The route will take us from Wednesbury, W.Mids. where Chris was born, to Greenhithe, Kent where he lived aged 2-4, on to Hythe, Hampshire where he lived until he was18, then to Bristol where he went to Uni. and finally on to London where he worked.   A grand total of 496 miles !!

We started on1^st April (maybe that says something about us ?!?).  Not sure when we’ll finish but finish we will.  All the money we raise will help fund the Sarcoma UK Genomics  Research Project.  You can read more about this on the Sarcoma UK website https://sarcoma.org.uk/research/100000-genomes-project/chris-martin-fellowship

Chris was diagnosed with Sarcoma in February 2014.  He had found a lump in his armpit the previous September.  Various diagnoses followed, including lymphoma, but none had the correct profile.  Eventually it was confirmed that it was cancer but no one knew what type.  He was told he had “a secondary tumour of unknown primary origin”.  Chris began chemotherapy just before Christmas 2013 and whilst the tumour did not increase in size, neither did it reduce.  So in the February it was decided to remove the tumour, which was subsequently analysed.  Only then, 6 months after discovering the growth, was he told he had Sarcoma. Chris died twenty months later. The difficulty in diagnosis that Chris experienced is true of so many Sarcoma patients.

Sarcoma UK(SUK) has launched a Genomics Research Project, using the samples gathered in the 100,000 Genomes Project, to reveal the genome profile of Sarcoma and thereby increase the speed and accuracy of diagnosis.  Knowing the genomic profile will also help to provide more appropriately targeted treatment and thereby increase survival rates.

Thank you for reading Chris’ story, for supporting us and Sarcoma UK.

                                         Gwenda  and  Rich