On Saturday 23rd July, our Ben's journey came to an end, and he fell asleep for the last time at home with his family around him.

But let's not dwell on THAT part of it. All the greats of the world in times gone by have also taken this same journey, and Ben is just the next one. So, let's reflect on that funny, graceful, selfless, brave and inspiring man we all know and love, who had the capacity to laugh at life, even after his plans for life were spoiled. When people ask about Ben, which we're proud to say is very often, the words ‘inspiring’ and ‘selfless’ are ALWAYS used, and we ask that you take a little of that inspiration and selflessness and honour Ben’s example he has set for us all.

If you are lucky enough to know our Ben, the likelihood is he impacted your life for the better in some way, and even if you didn’t, you may feel the ripples of his unselfish efforts since he was told he didn’t have a lot of time left with us all. Since knowing the future he had, his intention was to helps others, and he got to work. Ben dedicated the life he had to spending time with those he loved and helping others. In just 32 months, whilst living with his disease, Ben raised £40,379 for cancer charities, raised awareness and encouraged open discussions about cancer by joining multiple interviews on radio stations and podcasts. He was asked to be a UK ambassador for Boots UK No7, promoting No7 skin care range for people living with cancer. He was selected to be a baton bearer for the commonwealth games 2022, to carry the torch through the city of York, and he received personal messages of support and encouragement from the likes of Queen Elizabeth’s lady in waiting, Sir Cliff Richard, Nigella Lawson, Eddie Izzard and Chris Kamara, to name just a few, which just shows how far his story had travelled. He really was a rare one. One of the best of us.

Our Ben has now moved onto his next journey, and we will integrate him into our lives in a new way, a non-physical way, by including him in our thoughts, our daily lives, talk to him and let him be with us in every situation. We are so proud to call him a brother, a son, a brother-in-law, an uncle, and hope if you have the honour of having Ben in your life, you feel the same. We will all see his face again, one day.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody for the support you have shown Ben, and our family in the last couple of years.

As much as Ben loved flowers, we know he would have much prefer to continue to support Macmillan, which meant so much to Ben and his family. 

Ben was a real rainbow, both in the life he lived, and the person he was. The world needs more rainbows

He aint heavy…

Love

Ben's Family x