Hi, my name is Jack and in January 2024, my dad was diagnosed with incurable cancer. After his initial diagnosis he was approved for immunotherapy which was scheduled to last for two years. This seemed to be working but in September 2025, it was revealed that it was no longer effective and the cancer had spread to his lungs. This news was hard to take but as a family we carried on living mostly down to the positivity my dad continued to show in the face of this news. Since that point he has been on one of the most aggressive forms of chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy. At the beginning of February 2026, he had a seizure which revealed that his cancer had spread to his brain as well as his spine. This was the hardest news and one of the most traumatic situations we had faced and if im being honest we are still processing this now. He is now scheduled for whole brain radiotherapy in the coming weeks. This disease is cruel and can continue to bring you down even when you’re at your lowest. Over the past two years, I’ve watched my Dad fight this horrible disease despite the physical and mental challenges it has put him through. My mum also was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour last year further adding to the stress of life my family already had. My dad, mum and two brothers Luke and Harry are the strongest people I know. Seeing this mental strength they possess has inspired me to push myself to my absolute limits to raise money for Lignen Davies sunflower appeal.

So, on Saturday 20th June me and my good friend Riley will be doing the three peaks challenge to raise money for the Lignen Davies sunflower appeal.

The three peaks challenge is a hiking challenge that tests both mental and physical strength. In 24 hours we must hike: Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scaffell pike in England and Snowdon in Wales. This challenge is extremely hard as you don’t only have to climb the mountains but you have to travel between them within the time limit. This is something me and Riley have always wanted to do and there has never been a time more fitting to do so.

Riley has been supporting me every step of the way and has always been there in the face of bad news. There is no other person id rather do this challenge with as I know he will push me through even when times get tough during the challenge. The aim of the appeal is to raise 5 million pounds to build a new chemotherapy unit at the princess royal hospital in Telford by 2029. The aims of this appeal are to reduce travel time for cancer patients receiving treatment in Shropshire as currently the only centre accessible to those receiving cancer treatment in Shropshire is Shrewsbury. This new centre will also reduce wait times which is vital when facing a cancer diagnosis as it can spread extremely fast. My dad has been receiving treatment at the Lignen Davies centre every three weeks for the past two years and is why I want to give something back as the care and compassion he has received whilst he’s been there has been out of this world and we can’t thank them enough.

Me and Riley are both going to work extremely hard to make sure we complete this challenge. This involves both training and fundraising as we will both be pushing this just giving page as far and wide as possible to raise as much money for the Lignen Davies sunflower appeal as possible. Over the next couple months we will be posting updates to show you how our preparations are going and to thank you all for you support. We are both nervous and excited for this challenge but know it will be an experience of a lifetime and will hopefully bring many people together.