Our friend Matthew Adams died from a rare neuroendocrine cancer called paraganglioma on 23rd May 2025.

Matthew was just 18 and about to take his A-levels when he lost his two-and-a-half year fight against this untreatable cancer.

We’ve both known Matthew since we were little kids, and his death has left a massive hole in the lives of everyone who knew him.

Matthew was funny, loyal, honest, supportive, kind, trustworthy, generous, smart, positive, and unfailingly polite.

He was always there when you needed him, and now it’s our turn to be there for him and the many other young people who are tragically diagnosed with and die from cancer every year.

We’re raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust by climbing the highest mountains in Wales, England, and Scotland - Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), Scafell Pike, and Ben Nevis – one after the other between 21st-29th July 2025.

Having successfully walked the 84-mile long Hadrian’s Wall Path laden down with kit in just one week last August, Matthew was planning to take on the Three Peaks this summer alongside us, raising money for cancer-related causes close to his heart.

Sadly, Matthew’s health deteriorated rapidly in just a matter of weeks and he was never able to fulfil his dream of finishing what is considered to be one of the UK’s toughest outdoor trekking trials, which will involve climbing a combined 23 miles (37km), with a total vertical ascent of 10,052ft (3,064m).

It’s going to be a tough challenge for us – even more so as we won’t have Matthew with his unfailing optimism, courage, and first rate leadership skills, there in person pushing us on.

But hopefully the memory of all the incredible things Matthew achieved after being diagnosed with paraganglioma in December 2022, will be all the spur we need.

Despite undergoing 10 rounds of chemotherapy on the Ward 14 children’s oncology day unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, a seven-month long drug trial at University College London Hospital, and starting MIBG radiotherapy back here in the North East, Matthew never let his terminal diagnosis and ongoing treatment stop him achieving.

He passed his GCSE’s and completed his A-level studies in history, politics and geography at Kings Priory School in Tynemouth, continued parading as an Air Cadet with 346 (Tynemouth) Squadron, and had been accepted to study archaeology at Newcastle University.

As an Air Cadet Matthew achieved the highest cadet rank possible of Cadet Warrant Officer, and successfully completed strenuous DofE and adventure training activities, 40k road marches, and had been shortlisted to be part of the team representing Durham/Northumberland Wing at the prestigious two-day 2025 RAF Walking and Road Marching Association event at the end of April, until ill health forced him to pull out.

Given what Matthew achieved, we’ve got no excuse not to complete the Three Peaks in his memory and raise as much money as possible for The Teenage Cancer Trust which supported him and his family following his diagnosis.

Paraganglioma is incredibly rare – it is estimated that only two out of every one million people will get it, and it is virtually unheard of in someone of Matthew’s age. In fact, it is so rare, few people – including many doctors – have ever heard of it.

It is sadly terminal when it turns metastatic, and there is currently no widely established targeted treatments for the disease.

But we hope that by sponsoring us better, more specialised care and support can be offered to young people in Matthew’s situation, through the funding of expert nurses, youth workers, and hospital units, ensuring that 13-24-year-olds have dedicated staff and facilities during their cancer journey.

Matthew benefitted from Teenage Cancer Trust support events, information, and having a specialist team he could call on to provide a listening ear when he needed help coping with the physical and emotional challenges of having such a rare cancer.

Matthew would have wanted us to get on with our lives. He was generous like that. And this is what this is about – doing just that and in the process hopefully doing something positive in his name.

By sponsoring us, you can play your part in helping improve the cancer experience for young people like Matthew, and ensure they can still go on and achieve.

Please help make a difference and sponsor us with whatever you can afford.

Every penny really will count in helping ensure Matthew’s memory not only lives on but that young cancer sufferers get the care, encouragement and support they deserve.

Thank you.

Max and Andrew