Why would anyone want to jump out of a perfectly good plane at 15,000ft; attached to someone else (dead weight and heavy) with something that resembles a tent to slow you down before you hit  the ground?

 

Well, quite frankly there are two answers to that question, the first being I must be a complete nut case and secondly it is an opportunity to raise money for charity.

For too long I have been completely and utterly selfish, taking for granted something that been given to me and not given anything in return. It is about time that this changes for the better; hopefully it will be an enriching experience that will not stop at this one time.

For those who are not aware as a child I was diagnosed with cancer (Neuroblastoma), and after many years thanks to the work of Doctors/Nurses/Family and Friends I was able to pull through.  It’s only a small list but my thanks goes out to Prof McElwain/ Dr Mellor/ Debbie Crouch/Dr Moyes and all the other staff members that helped keep me here. You are all truly amazing people for which I can never repay you for what you did.

Back in the 80’s, cancer suffers were not afforded the chances that so many people are today. The rarer the cancer, the less likely the treatment had been perfected to win the fight. I was one of the lucky ones, for which I am eternally in the debt of others.

I have been afforded a second opportunity in life, because of this I must grab it with both hands and cherish all the precious moments that we are able to experience. As well as this though, I must find away to repay my debt by going on to help others. However small, it only needs one moment or one mind changed to begin something great.

I have decided the best way to honour those that have helped me so much is to go on to find ways to help other suffers. Therefore I will be jumping out of a plane to raise funds for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, this was the treatment centre that not only helped me but thousands of other suffers.

The Royal Marsden Hospital was founded by Doctor William Marsden back in 1851. Marsden was so deeply affected by the death of his wife Elizabeth Ann to cancer,he was determined to study tumours, research, clarify causes and find new treatments. The work begun by Marsden has led to the hospital pioneering in; diagnosis, treatment, care and research. It is one of the leading treatment centres worldwide; together in association with the Institute of Cancer Research its reputation is unrivalled for patient care, research and education.

Despite this, the effects of cancer continue to affect millions of people every year. Now, one in three people will be subjected to the disease. Treatment is still under continual development to increase the chances of patients ever further, but is still hindered by the cost.

This issue has been highlighted by the program “the secret millionaire”, in 2010; the show included a Paul Ragan. He took a trip to Derby to see if he could give back to the town where he grew up. Paul came across a young boy called Lewis, who was suffering from Neuroblastoma. The boy’s prognosis was not great, given only a 20% chance of survival even with the best treatment in the world. The parents began fund raising to take their dear son to the United States, the cost of this 3 months treatment was a staggering 300,000 pounds.

Despite the development made in the last 150 years, there are still many forms of the disease that treatment is still in development and the cost of such treatment is very expensive.

Supporting the Royal Marsden means that the funds raised will not on trivial administrative tasks or jobs not related to helping the cause–the money is put into the four key areas that they specialise in:

·         DIAGNOSIS

·         TREATMENT

·         CARE

·         RESEARCH.

So the money we raise may not necessary fund ground breaking treatment, nor does it mean it will be able to fund the latest development in bio-medical research. It might simply go towards making someone comfortable who is terminally ill.

Now I know that everyone who reads this will have heard the phrase “any contributions great or small will be appreciated” but the truth is it will. This will be ground breaking experience for me; hopefully this will be the first of many to help me raise money for a cause that in some ways will affect us all. To demonstrate how important the funds raises will go to a good cause, none of the money raised will be used to fund the cost of the event. All expenses will come out of my pocket, but to be honest this is the very least I can do.

This means that every penny donated will go towards help those involved in the fight somehow. I am extremely privileged to be sat here to write this, and I can only hope that this will help someone however possible to deal with Cancer.

From more information on the charity please visit: http://www.royalmarsden.org

For more information on the disease please visit: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org

                                                                                                   http://www.icr.ac.uk

 

Thank you for your support.