Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Firstly a big thank you to Tom and Rory for their support of this charity. It means a lot to us as a family.

I must also thank Fraser and Emma at Dussl for their sponsorship of this ride, and in their continued efforts to reach as many communities as possible to help raise awareness and bring people together in support of Melanoma UK and the fight against cancer.

In November 2023, my brother Ross was driving, when suddenly he lost the sight in his right eye. The initial diagnosis? Retinal detachment. A medical emergency in itself. Despite several pleas to re-attach it, consultants and surgeons were initially very reluctant, largely due to a history of melanoma in 2015.

Ross was sent to The Royal Liverpool Hospital, a specialist eye centre.

Scans revealed a tumor behind the eye, robbing blood flow to his right side. As a precaution, the decision was taken to excise the eye and remove what they could of the cancer. Further scans revealed significant metastases to both lungs, the liver and the brain.

Ross was now facing Christmas with the reality of stage 4 metastatic malignant melanoma and a very uncertain future.

2024 was the toughest year of his life. We stood by him, but ultimately as many will know, cancer is often a lonely place, filled with anxiety, worry, pain and hope.

He was promptly started on dual-drug immunotherapy, and received radiotherapy to his head. He suffered, a lot! His suffering paid off...

As of today, Ross remains in remission. This is thanks largely to the miracle of immunotherapy, which has undoubtedly given him a second chance. He is an eye down, tired, but as stoic as ever.

However, not everyone gets this second chance. Our challenge now, alongside Tom and Rory, is to ride the length of the country in 10 days to raise awareness for this terrible disease, and to raise what we can for Melanoma UK in their fight against it.

A mention for Cog Cycle and Repair in Penryn, Cornwall. James and Mike have passed on a wealth of knowledge and advice to us already, not to mention some very generous sponsorship offers for our bikes and maintenance to ensure we hit the road in the best possible condition.

Please donate what you can. Everything helps, no matter how small! You can follow Ross' story below.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxe23k2yd0ko

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0jj3fc7

We're very proud of you Ross.