Many of you know that sadly my dad passed away on 22 September 2016 following a courageous fight against Mesothelioma. He began feeling unwell in January 2016 and following some tests, 2 months later he was diagnosed with Mesothelioma in March 2016.

To say we were shocked at how quickly our world turned upside down is an understatement. I found it difficult to comprehend that there was no cure and the only option was to prolong life as long as possible. Considering how advanced medicine is nowadays, we hoped there would be something out there which can help patients with Mesothelioma.

Unfortunately, it’s rarely possible to cure Mesothelioma. It is a type of cancer that develops in the lining that covers the outer surface of some of the body’s organs although treatment can help control the symptoms, the average life after diagnosis is around 9 months, around 50% of people with Mesothelioma will live a year after diagnosis and around 1 in 10 people with Mesothelioma will live at least 5 years.

To have a couple of extra months or longer with my dad would have been priceless for us as a family. We spent a lot of time speaking to different experts and researching the latest clinical trials which were taking place across the world. A lot of the information we were gathering came from the website ran by the charity organisation Mesothelioma UK who work extremely hard to find a cure or even new treatment which could help prolong life as much as possible.

Mesothelioma UK aim to help families like ours by funding important clinical trials, treatment and amazing staff and nurses who are purely for Mesothelioma sufferers. The charity is dedicated to providing specialist Mesothelioma information, support and education, and to improve care and treatment for all UK Mesothelioma patients and their carer’s. 

My dad touched hearts where ever he went and was always friendly and an very loved member of the family and community. He committed a lot of his time to the local temple and lived to make a difference. I always try to channel my dad’s thoughts and energy in everything I do and nearly one year on from successfully donated my kidney to my cousin, I am ready for my next challenge to help make a difference. With my sister Meera and my cousin Ami, we have chosen to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, on 19 August 2019 when we will begin our climb. 

It would mean so much to us if you could donate as little as anything to help give something back to the incredible staff who helped get us through the darkest period in our lives so far and to help with further clinical trial and research to find a cure or treatment to prolong life.

Thank you so much. 

Ravi, Meera and Ami