In October 2021 I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, which is particularly common in young adults. This diagnosis came completely out of the blue for me as on the surface I felt fit and healthy. However, after a successful diagnosis and treatment plan I was given the news that I was in remission and there was no further treatment planed for myself.

The last eighteen months have not been easy but throughout this period the Beatson have been outstanding. It is impossible for me to put into words how grateful I am for my two consultants, the nurses in the Beatson and the wider NHS. These people are genuine everyday heroes and their actions and decisions are entirely responsible for me returning to full health. It’s not just myself, I know for a fact there will be many people reading this post who have had friends, family and colleagues walk through the doors of the Beatson. This is an institution that is responsible for the cancer care of over 2.5 million people across Scotland.

Therefore, in order to give something back I have put together a group of tremendous young men who will be walking 96 miles in 5 days with me as we complete the West Highland Way. The walk will take place over the spring May bank holiday weekend which is alarmingly soon given the lack of preparation completed thus far! Nothing I could do would fully demonstrate my gratitude for the Beatson but hopefully we can raise a ridiculous amount of money for a ridiculously good charity who I know have helped many more people than just myself.

Participants:

Darren Smith, Jake Morris, Cameron Shaw, Christopher Mulhearn, Gareth Shevlin, Daniel Comrie, Cameron Gray, Jonathan Friel, Andrew Brown, David Motherwell, Zak McGuire, Callum Gray, Ross Mcleam, Glen Livingstone, Drew Docherty, James McCan