Thank-you to everyone who has sponsored me so far!! 

(I ran the race in 2hr 35min - so beat my personal target of 2hr 40min so am super happy with the time. My legs ache very much indeed and my blisters are quite nasty - but it was every bit worth it for such a fantastic cause - and of course beneath the pain it was good fun too!) 

 

This sponsor page is about helping those we love. Both my parents have had cancer. The wonders of the medical professional have saved my Dad, but sadly I have lost my Mum. Lets pull together to make sure those we cherish stay safe now and always.

 

My brother, Nik, and I are taking part in the world's first ever Kilomathon, a 26.2km (16.3miles) race from Nottingham to Derby on Mother's Day (March 14th 2010) in memory of our wonderful Mum, Maria Thomas. Mum fought cancer for 3 years and during that time she lived life to the full, never once complained, always smiled and selflessly did everything in her power to make sure everyone around her was happy. I cannot put into words how amazingly brave and inspirational Mum was. Her strength and determination gives me strength in everything I do. Mum was my best friend and I miss her every day.

 

While Mum was fighting cancer she took part in a clinical trial in the hope that a new chemotherapy would not only help her in her fight but also help others in theirs. She was very proud to have helped in the search for new information and understanding of cancer treatments and later went into the hospital to give a talk on her experience. My Mum's doctor at the time was Dr. Chan. Mum thought very highly of Dr. Chan and trusted him completely. It is for Dr. Chan's continuing research that I am raising money for (There is information about his work at the bottom of this page).

 

I ask that you sponsor me and help raise money for this amazing cause so that between us we make a real difference to people's lives - quite literally buying people more time. Priceless. Giving the greatest gift of all; health.

 

Ordinarily on a sponsor page I would say 'every little helps - just give what you can' but this time I want you to really think about the worthiness of this cause and the people you can help and to dig deep, as deep as you can and to give, give, give.  Please spare the time to think about those less fortunate than yourselves - and then make a difference by sponsoring me and raising money to fight cancer and save lives.

 

THANK-YOU!

 

Where the money goes;

The Oncology and Gynaeoncology Research Fund is overseen by the NUH Charity and is lead by Dr. Stephen Chan who heads a very active clinical/translational oncology research group. He and his team use this fund to facilitate their groundbreaking research and to deliver new cutting edge treatment.  

Supported by the Nottingham Cancer Clinical Trails Team (NCCTT), Dr Chan has established a research group that allows the latest treatment options and drug trials to be made available to patients with breast and gynecologically derived cancers. Over the 20 years since the group’s inception it has taken part in trials for licensing of drugs such as Herceptin, Taxane and Lapatinib among many others, which provided the evidence for their clinical benefit. The accumulation of evidence via well run clinical trials is of great importance, as it helps to support NICE in its review and approval of new treatments.

Where Dr Chan’s trials research group makes new treatments accessible to Nottinghamshire patients, the translational research group aims to use the information and tissue samples these patients provide to develop new avenues of research. This information is a priceless resource for asking new questions about the biological and genetic changes that manifest in cancer cells.

One of the group’s primary interests is developing methods of determining the biological markers that indicate how a particular patient’s cancer will respond to treatment, and in turn which treatment options that patient would find most beneficial. Another area of interest is in deducing the methods cancer cells employ to resist chemotherapy, and how these could become future targets for treatment.

The group also acts in collaboration with other cancer research teams, based in Nottingham and , to help develop new biological agents that have the potential to become new tests and treatments for cancer.    

The group’s database of patient information and samples will soon be complimented by a new Tissue Bank initiative underway within the histopathology department. This will lead to a great expansion of information on patient response to treatment and will allow translational research to accelerate.

In the future, it is hoped that patient-tailored treatment will become the norm. This can only occur through the work of translational research groups, the collaboration with pharmaceutical companies and the financial support provided by donations and funding bodies. It is this union that Dr Chan has established at Nottingham University Hospitals. 

Donations to Dr Chan’s research fund will support his research groups, so allowing the provision of the latest trial treatments to patients and ensuring that the contribution these patients make, delivers future research into understanding the causes, improving the diagnosis, and optimising the treatment of breast and gynecological cancers.       

 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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.

So please dig deep and donate now.