On 27th April, aged 69, I’m walking 22.7 miles from Glasgow Green to Balloch on the shores of Loch Lomond, fundraising for Marie Curie. In 2002 I moved to Texas, married an incredibly strong Texas lady, and had an incredible marriage for 13 years. Unfortunately my wife was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. Lesli was both strong and brave and was determined that she would fight the cancer for as long as possible and, in doing so, try to help others. We were lucky to go to the best Cancer Hospital in the United States where my wife underwent many clinical trials. Her view being that even if the treatment didn’t work for her, it would, in the long term, help others. She fought to the very end, was in and out of hospital until spending the last week of her life in Hospice care.

I walked with my wife in support of the hospital (M D Anderson) where she was treated, driving home after one particular visit I made her a promise. She wanted to walk for MDA in 2017, which was the 5 year anniversary of her cancer diagnosis. Surviving 5 years with Ovarian cancer is a milestone, and this was her celebration. I promised that I would walk it with her, if she wasn’t strong enough to walk, I would push her in a wheelchair… and yes… if she wasn’t still with us I would walk it for her. That brought a beautiful smile that I’ll always remember. After my wife passed I returned to the U.K., keeping another promise I’d made, but In 2017 I returned to Texas and myself and her family walked together in her memory. All except Michelle, Lesli’s older sister who had been diagnosed with Leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer while my wife was undergoing chemo. Ironically Michelle was pushed along the route in a wheelchair by, yes, her husband Rod.

So, I’m walking this in honour of my wife, Lesli. The bravest women I know, who taught me such a lot about life and death, who taught me that life is to be lived, and death is nothing to be feared. Words can never express how grateful I am of the hospice care my wife was given, or of the support that I obtained. Now living in Scotland I want to support the Marie Curie charity that works across the whole of the UK. They need your support to provide care to those with a terminal illness and their families. It’s such important work. Statistically we will all know someone, or love someone whose going to need end of life care… let’s make that the best care that we can. Please support me, every £ or $ counts. It could not be for a better cause, believe me.. Thank you