Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare and rapidly fatal cancer of the bile duct. There are no real standard treatments for this cancer, it generally remains silent until it is advanced beyond cure and there is no definitive understanding of its cause. 

Rare cancers receive very little medical attention and even less research funding. The reason we have been given for this is that rare cancers don't affect as many lives as the more common cancers. However, 54% of cancer deaths in the UK are from rare cancers - not so rare after all! The impact of the diagnosis doesn't just affect one individual but it reaches far and wide, affecting all of those who love the person dearly. As such, our little family has been on an emotional roller-coaster over the past year or so, made ever harder by the lack of understanding about this illness. 

Our saving grace has been the charity AMMF (the UK's only Cholangiocarcinoma charity) who have provided us with guidance and support over this time. Deana and I will be doing a 100k bike ride in June to raise money for this charity, who, without knowing it, has been our lifeline.

If you would like to, please give whatever you can and help other families who will inevitably go through this in the future, to know that there is hope.

With love,

Jules and Deana