My dad, Steve, was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer called myelofibrosis in January 2010. At the time of his diagnosis, he was given a prognosis of between 3-5 years. There was little known about myeloproliferative neoplasms at the time, and we were told his condition would be terminal.

In the past 13 years, research has advanced our understanding and treatment of the disease. Specific gene mutations were discovered which allowed more targeted treatments to be developed.

Dad has been part of many clinical trials which have all helped us reach this point in his journey - a potential cure - a stem cell transplant.

Addenbrooke's Hospital has done everything within its power to care for my dad and treat his cancer. The specialist consultants, doctors and nurses have provided care beyond anything we could have hoped for.

To support the Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust, I will be swimming 22 miles (the length of the English Channel) in 7 days. It's about 3.2 miles, or 258 laps of my local 20m pool, every day for a week.

I understand that times are tough and the cost of living is rising by the minute, but any donation, no matter how small, makes a huge difference.

If you're unable to donate but still want to help, may I urge you to sign up to be either a:

*Blood donor (https://my.blood.co.uk/your-account/pre-registration/)

*stem cell donor

The gift of your blood and/or stem cells could give someone a fighting chance at life.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.