We are taking on the Brecon Beacons Night Hike to raise vital funds for Cancer Research Wales.#RememberingTom

#REMEMBERINGTOM

Tom Walker was a quiet, considerate and caring boy from Devauden in Monmouthshire, aged 13. In February 2018 Tom’s grandfather found a leaflet about hiking in the dark up Pen Y Fan, the tallest mountain in South Wales, whilst raising funds for Cancer Research Wales. Tim, Tom’s father, had a new pair of walking boots he needed to wear in. Tom wanted to get fitter so he could be a rowing cox. ‘Two birds, one stone.’

Tom and Tim completed the walk as scheduled on Friday 23^rd March in the rain, wind, snow and fog. If you cast your minds back to that date, it was at the tail end of ‘Mini Beast from the East’ and although it was raining when the hike started, halfway up it was snowing and there was also thick snow lying on the slopes of Pen Y Fan. Tom found it hard but he carried on with lots of encouragement, despite being the youngest participant on the hike.

Sadly Tom fell ill on Monday 28^th May 2018, and after just over two weeks of slow decline with a range of conditions, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia on Wednesday 13^th June. His condition rapidly worsened while he was having an operation on Thursday 14^th June, and he died after returning to intensive care that afternoon. His leukaemia became very aggressive in the last 24 hours and overwhelmed first his kidneys and then his heart.

He was a keen swimmer for his school, Monmouth School for Boys, and Monnow Swimming Club, and was learning to row on the river Wye. Less than three months before he died, before he knew he had leukaemia, he raised several hundred pounds for Cancer Research Wales in sponsorship for taking part in the Brecon Beacons Night Hike.

His loss is sorely felt by his family, friends, local community and school. We are #RememberingTom with a series of challenges and fundraising events. Tom’s school friends made an attempt to beat the record for the fastest time to row Loch Ness. Over 500 people have collectively swum the length of the River Wye and back. Friends of Tom and their parents have raised funds through selling cakes and lemonade, holding raffles, busking in Monmouth and Cwmbran town centres, sponsoring a whole range of activities, selling Cancer Research Wales merchandise and running a charity car park. Together, family and friends have raised over £30,000 in his memory, and his name lives on through their efforts. With the return of the Brecon Beacons Night Hike, we are going to re-trace Tom’s footsteps