Back in April 2020 as well as being in the first national lockdown due to Covid-19 we had our lives turned upside down as we found out our three year old, Harrison has Leukaemia. So to be honest Covid really hasn’t been that bad for us as a family as we have had other things to think about, our son’s battle with cancer. 

It’s not been an easy thing for us to get our heads round,
but then you don’t really have time to. As as soon as we found out he was in intensive care and within 24 hours had started his treatment. So I guess we have never really had time to fully sit back and come to terms with it. It’s been full on for eight months now and he has spent over one month of nights in hospital, had weekly daytime visits to the hospital, almost daily home visits from the nurse and several operations to contend with. He got through this first stage and was in maintenance, but the leukaemia came back and we were told a bone marrow transplant was now his best option. Luckily for us and for Harrison his older brother Zach was a match and recently gave his bone marrow to his brother, so he is now recovering from the transplant and will be hospital for a few months and recovering for the next year or so. Its all been pretty tough on someone so young he also has no real idea of either the seriousness of the illness he has or any concept of time and how long he has had to be in hospital. My wife, Sarah has been amazing as has his big brother Zach (even more so now he has been Harrisons donor!). As a family we are coping and have found new routines and coping mechanisms and are taking things day by day despite often being apart.  

We have also been supported by both the incredible NHS (I don’t
think I need to bang on about how incredible they are) but also some amazing charities who do a lot to help families come to terms with life changing illnesses. Young Lives Vs Cancer (& Momentum) have helped us with counselling, gifts for the kids at difficult times, extra ‘treat’ food & drinks whilst at the hospital, and much more that we haven’t yet been able to use. These charities make a big difference at a very difficult time for families and we are truly grateful they exist alongside the NHS.  

To raise much needed funds for these organisations I am now taking on 2 100 mile bike rides 6 days apart! The trip to Provence got cancelled and then the company went bust and took our money!  So I am now going to be taking on:

• Firstly the Ride-100 London-Essex, a 100 mile Sportive at the end of May 2022
• Then the next weekend the Tour of Cambridge, another 100miles Sportive at the start of June 2022
• Plus if I raise atleast £10,000 I will do the Mont Ventoux climb on my Wattbike as I wont be going there, but that's the best I can do this year! 2000m of climbing in one go! 

So if you can please give generously! 

Thank you, Jon

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