In October 2019, I lost my dad, Daryl, aged 53, to cancer. Dad was a family man. He loved us. He loved how many of us there are. He adored his grandchildren and it broke his heart when he knew he wouldn''t be able to see them grow up. He had a rare form of cancer called bile duct cancer, which has very poor outcomes and short life expectancy from diagnosis. From diagnosis, the years leading up to his death were challenging for him and the family. My mother took early retirement to care for him and they both had to navigate a very unfamiliar, scary and distressing patient journey.

But at the point of diagnosis, we were referred to Macmillan and assigned a case worker. His name is Ryan. Ryan helped my parents access support services, understand and come to terms with my dad's diagnosis, and was a friendly, familiar, comforting and supportive face during one of the most difficult times of my parents' (and our whole family's) lives. Without him, this already painful situation would have been much, much worse. Macmillan's work doesn't always end in a happy way, but it means the world to the people they help. It meant the world to us. I hope anyone reading this doesn't ever need their support, but sadly, statistically, 1 in 2 people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives (Cancer Research UK). This September (Sunday 7th September 2025) I am running in the Great North Run 2025 in memory of my Dad and to fundraise for Macmillan to expand and enhance their vital support services. Any donation would be much appreciated. Lots of love, always, Dan xxx

Thanks for supporting my fundraising. Macmillan gives people with cancer everything they’ve got. If you’re diagnosed, your worries are Macmillan’s worries. Macmillan’s doing whatever it takes. But without your help, Macmillan can’t support everyone who needs them.

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