I am currently being treated for advanced melanoma at the Royal Marsden by Dr James Larkin and his amazing team and its safe to say the care they provide is first class.
You can read my full melanoma story at the blog which I write to raise awareness of this awful disease http://shomelanoma.com. Once the melanoma has spread internally there is currently no known cure.
Before Xmas, I discovered that my melanoma had returned when a small tumour was detected in my brain. I am currently undergoing targeted treatment Dabrafenib and Tramenib which target the BRAF mutated gene in my melanoma and stop the signals the cancer cells use to grow. I was unable to go back on immunotherapy treatment due to the extreme adverse reaction to my liver I experienced and the high risk this would happen again. Keep everything crossed my pesky tumour responds to this latest treatment.
I am channelling all of my energies into fundraising for the amazing melanoma team at the Royal Marsden. The team led by my oncologist Dr James Larkin are at the global forefront of developing new life-prolonging treatments that are helping patients like me. As little as 5 years ago, the life expectancy of a stage 4 melanoma patient was 6 to 9 months. They also go above and beyond to provide amazing support to patients and their loved ones when it is needed most.
On Saturday March 10, 2018 along with a group of family and friends we will be undertaking the challenge of a 12 -hour non stop Danceathon. This will be a BIG challenge as I am not a natural "dancer" and would never be a candidate for the Strictly Glitterball.
Any donations no matter the amount will be of great encouragement to the team to KEEP DANCING and make it to the finish line.
All funds raised will form part of the Shomelanoma wider fundraising initiative as part of 'Team Shomelanoma' and will be allocated to my oncologist, Dr. James Larkin's on-going research fund.
