Story
Hello!
Myself along with a team of Ed Wilson, Benny Ernst and Chris Vallis-Wilson are cycling 310 miles from London to Paris between 1st and 4th June 2022.
We are doing this in memory of my Dad, Mike Southgate, who was a big fan of cycling and this was always a challenge he wanted to do himself! He would be laughing at the state of the team I have assembled, especially as one doesn't own a bike (not sure he can even ride one), one hates cycling and two are seriously out of shape (sorry Uncle Chris).
My Dad was unfortunately diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic bowel cancer in April 2020 and fought against it for almost 2 years before sadly passing away aged 59, in January 2022.
His diagnosis was incurable with the cancer having already spread to his liver and lung and later to the peritoneum. He tackled his cancer head on and you wouldn't have known he had been suffering because he continued to work and maintained such positivity, optimism and humour throughout the whole period. By October 2021 he had received countless rounds of chemotherapy and other treatments, however it was no longer having an impact. There was hope of a trial at The Royal Marsden but he was unfortunately ineligible due to the strict parameters. He wanted to participate in the trial to help clinicians gain further understanding into advanced bowel cancer, more so than to help his own illness, which is why we have decided to support The Institute of Cancer Research - Bowel cancer appeal.
Bowel cancer is well-known however those diagnosed with the later stages face monumental challenges to even receive hope of remission. It is less known that advanced bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK. The money we raise for The Institute of Cancer Research will help fund further research into smarter immunotherapy treatments which have been discovered to help advanced bowel cancer patients who are no longer responding to conventional treatment due to tumours evolving so rapidly. The trials are currently very selective, therefore the money raised will enable greater understanding and hopefully ensure these innovative treatments are more widely available to those who are diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer, giving them greater hope that their diagnosis is not the end.
So please donate as much as you can for a great cause which will change the outlook and situation of many people suffering, but also donate in memory of a fantastic man who has left us far too soon.
Thank you,
George xxx
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