In December 2014 my dad collapsed at the doctors’ surgery (he chose wisely) after feeling unwell for the previous few months.  Looking back, he ‘chose’ his location well as, as an employee of Southeastern, it could have happened on the station platform.   After numerous tests he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Small Cell Lung Cancer.  My emotions were numb and the severity of Dad's illness hit home hard.  The family was told that this type of cancer was incurable and that, with treatment, Dad could have 6-12 months.  They wanted to start chemotherapy straight away to give him the best chances, with his first round starting a few
days later on Christmas Eve.  Dad was very practical about the whole thing and agreed to have whatever treatment was needed.  On Christmas Day 2014, the day after chemo started, Dad took a turn for the worst and we had to call an ambulance.  He was struggling for breath and needed help fast.  We thought that was 'it'.  The phone call to reach a paramedic felt like the longest wait, to be told there were no ambulances available and that as soon as they had one Dad would be a top priority patient.  That ten minute wait for the ambulance felt like a lifetime.  Anyone who has been in this position knows how terrifying this is.  Dad recovered, he has had a further five round of chemotherapy, a bout of pneumonia, sepsis, and completed 10 courses of radiotherapy to his brain and lungs.  He has since been diagnosed with heart failure, his heart is only functioning at 20%.  

Sitting in the waiting room, waiting for one of Dad's appointments, it really hit home that cancer does not care.  It doesn't care who you are, how old you are, what nationality, ethnicity, gender you are.  Cancer doesn't care, it just wants to live. 

Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital have been fantastic throughout Dad's treatment and care.  Nothing has been too much trouble for them and the staff are amazing.  They deal with cancer and those it affects day in and day out and yet are not blasé about it.  They show true compassion and treat their patients and their families like people, not hospital numbers and take on board any concerns they have.  They know their patient; they know their name, their history and most of all they listen.

Dad has openly discussed wills, financial matters and his wishes, which has been heart-breaking for all of us, but he is very practical.   He has told us that he doesn't want any flowers at his funeral, but instead would like donations to the new Cancer Centre at Guy's Hospital, London, the hospital where he has been having the majority of his treatment.  We think it's fitting that we show our thanks for his care now, whilst he can participate. 

Last year my sister Kirstie and I ran a campaign called #SnapYourDad , raising over £600 for Guys Cancer Centre.  This year I have *crazily* agreed to take part in an abseil down the front of Guys new Cancer Centre, to raise money for a project that could impact every one of us
at some point in our lives. I'm honoured to take part in the event, and
*hopefully* dad will be at the bottom cheering me on.  

The new Cancer Centre is set to be one of the largest in Europe, meeting the needs of over two million people across the south east. Each year there are 20,000 suspected cancer cases and 6,500 cancer patients are treated. One in three people is diagnosed at some point in their lives.

The Cancer Centre will have six radiotherapy units and will be the only provider of such therapy in south east London. It will almost double the number of radiotherapy treatments provided every year. 

At Dad's last oncology appointment we were told that they probably do chemo again in the future,but he can have a break for now. It's been 18 months since he was first diagnosed, and given his prognosis, he shouldn’t be here.  Without the Cancer team at Guys none of this would have been possible.  We are grateful for every day that we have with him and have
been given the opportunity to share more smiles, laughter and memories with our dad.  This is our way of saying thank you; to the nurses and doctors who worked hard to give him his treatment, to the cleaners who keep infection on the wards to a minimum, to the consultants who run over-booked clinics to ensure every patient is seen.  Thank you for providing families with support, but most of all.... Thank you for giving us more time with our dad. 

To sponsor me, and make a donation to Guys New Cancer Centre text ROSH54 followed by £(insert amount) to 70070.  Every £ counts! 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Thank you for reading my story and for sponsoring me to step off the edge!