In 2006, I had an operation to remove a tumour from a muscle on my left leg.... please read on :

Fortunately, during the op, rubble didn't fall from the ceiling, as yet another mortar bomb exploded outside; nor did the lights over the operating table go out just as the surgeon made a crucial incision; nor did I need to have family members in the corridor, plumbed-in to give me hopefully-matching blood. That was because my op was done in Oswestry, not Aleppo (or any other war-torn/disater-struck city in which David Nott regularly weaves his magic)!

The David Nott Foundation is a UK registered charity which provides surgeons and medical professionals with the skills they need to provide relief and assistance in conflict and natural disaster zones around the world. As well as providing the best medical care, David Nott Foundation surgeons will train local healthcare professionals; leaving a legacy of education and improved health outcomes.

I’m doing the Great North Run, partly in celebration of the 10 years of life I’ve had since being diagnosed, but mainly to raise as much money as possible for this amazing charity. That’s why, before you decide how much to donate, I beg you to listen to his story, told on Desert Island Discs (particularly from 20 minutes onward) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07djzyq

For what you are about to give, I’m truly, truly thankful. John x