Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. So here’s a little back story as to why I’m running the London Marathon 2023 for Mesothelioma UK.

On the 23rd November 2021 I had the shock of my life, a phone call to say my Dad had been diagnosed with an incurable cancer called Mesothelioma. A rare type of cancer that is related to exposure of asbestos and affects the lining of the lung. It can take anywhere from 10-50 years to present symptoms, with only about 2700 new cases per year in the UK.

My Dad has always been a fit and healthy man, playing sport all his life and it was only due to a sudden loss of weight, shortness of breath and lack of appetite in the summer of 2021 that he realised something wasn’t right. 

After many scans and visits to the hospital our worst nightmare came true. It was from that day I went into survival mode. I needed to do all I can for the man who brought me up in this world. I spent day after day researching this disease I had never heard of, contacting people on the other side of the world who had lived with this cancer for more then 20 years and discovering this small charity called ‘Mesothelioma UK’. Having contacted them they gave me and my family some clarity from the news we couldn’t get our head around. 

The first year since diagnosis was great, he had a course of chemotherapy and did really well on it with recent scans showing no change or spread of the cancer. He was also playing golf 4/5 times a week and walking around the 4 mile course, but the winter has been tough having really struggled with breathing. The next stage is to get a second line of treatment to hopefully give him more freedom to get out and about again (and get him on the golf course ready for summer).

I thought I would try my luck at getting a ballot spot on the London Marathon as Mesothelioma UK don’t get charity spaces due to them being such a small organisation. AND I GOT ONE! So I’m running for this amazing cause and my incredible Dad!

Thank you for reading my story. This is to beat the disease! Anything you can donate really does mean the world. Thank you.