Story
David Wakeling is my oldest friend... I've known him for more than 35 years!
In 2015 David and Sara's daughter Alice, aged 3, developed a neck lump. Following tests Alice was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer. Alice underwent a prolonged period of treatment with 20 months of chemotherapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital followed by proton beam radiation in the US.
Alice remained cancer-free for a year but scans confirmed that her cancer had returned in February 2018. Alice underwent a further 6 months of chemotherapy followed by a procedure known as AMORE in Amsterdam involving surgery and brachytherapy.
In July 2019 scans confirmed that Alice's cancer had spread to her abdomen and pelvis. Alice died at home, aged 7, in October 2019.
Following the devastating loss of their child, David and Sara have set up a wonderful charity, Alice's Arc. The aim of the charity is to help understand more about how the disease arises and to find better treatments for rhabdomyosarcoma. Alice's Arc has already funded excellent clinical research via the Institute of Cancer Research, University of Birmingham, Wellcome Sanger Institute, The Royal Marsden, and Great Ormond Street Hospital.
I am immensely proud of what Alice's Arc has achieved in such a short time and am delighted to be fundraising for them by running this half marathon. If you are able, please give generously.
Thanks for reading this, Ed
https://www.alicesarc.org