Thank you for visiting my JustGiving page.

On 22 June and 30 August 2014 I will be changing out of my pretty dresses and smart suits to get really sweaty, covered in mud and soaking wet to raise money for the University of Southampton.  The University needs to raise £10m to build, equip and resource a world leading cancer immunology centre that will develop the life saving cancer treatments of the future.  Why am I stepping completely out of my comfort zone to do this?

On 17 April 2013 my late husband, Andrew died following a 10 month battle with advanced gastro-oesophageal cancer.  He left myself a young widow and our then 2 year old son without a father. 

By the time Andrew exhibited symptoms of his condition (dysphagia), it was already too late.  Although he went immediately to his GP, staging test showed that his condition was advanced. 

Every medical professional that Andrew and I met along our journey said that Andrew had no risk factors and had done nothing wrong. He did not smoke, he did not drink that often or that much; age, family history and ethnicity were not factors. Until this point Andrew had been 'fit and healthy'. It was pure bad luck that he should have developed this kind of cancer.

The median life expectancy for someone with advanced gastro-oesophageal junction cancer is one year from diagnosis. The 'gold standard' chemotherapy regimen (EOX) for this cancer is palliative and has a 40% likelihood of being effective (shrinking the primary and holding the cancer at bay for a period of greater than 6 months post treatment). Andrew endured all 8 cycles of gruelling and toxic chemotherapy but unfortunately he was in the 60% for whom this treatment is ineffective. Andrew's end of chemo CT scan in February 2013 showed progression to his lungs, liver and more vertebrae.

I was with Andrew and cared for him through every step of his terrible journey.  I also juggled full-time work and looking after our son, Raymond.  Andrew's death was ugly.  

Andrew was an extremely clever man and had a PhD in physics. Andrew was passionate about immunotherapy and believed that immunotherapy treatments hold the key for curing all types of cancer in the future. His belief is echoed in an article entitled 'the five most promising new cancer treatments' in the 16 October 2012 edition of New Scientist magazine. Andrew envisaged a future where no one need suffer the toxic effects of chemotherapy. Andrew had hoped he would be eligible to undertake a T-cell clinical trial (starting in May 2013) for his type of cancer.  Unfortunately, having passed one of the screening tests for this trial Andrew became too ill to be a participant. 

Since Andrew's death I met hundreds of young widows/widowers (at Widowed and Young) whose fit and healthy spouses have died of cancer.  My experience has taught me that life is short, life is precious and cancer can happen to anyone.

Please help Doctors and Scientists beat all forms of cancer sooner by supporting the University of Southampton.