Max’s Story: Why Your Support Matters

In May 22, after finding a tiny lump in my left breast, I thought I’d better go to my GP to get it checked out, just in case. I was promptly sent for a routine mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. On the day, my sonographer was certain it was benign, so when I got a call to go in 5 days later for my results, and told that I had a very aggressive form of breast cancer, requiring immediate treatment, my life was turned upside down. What followed was 6 months of chemotherapy, a mastectomy, and then radiotherapy.

My treatment journey was 18 months of, what felt like, hundreds of hospital visits, hours hooked up to machines, drugs pumping through my veins, causing an array of side effects, from nausea, insomnia, fatigue, and so many others that are hard to describe. Navigating all of those, while having to come to terms with losing my hair and adjusting to a body that no longer looked or felt like my own, was extremely difficult at times. But I was so lucky to have an incredible wife who took such loving care of me throughout it all. I could not have got through it without her and the support of close family and friends. But sometimes you need an additional kind of support. This is where Maggie’s comes in.

For many, Maggie’s is a lifeline when cancer turns your life upside down, whether it’s practical advice on money worries, emotional support, or sharing your fears over a cup of tea with others going through their own cancer journey. It’s a sense of community and can help make the toughest days feel a little lighter. They are there from diagnosis, during treatment and long after treatment ends. Without the donations they receive, they just wouldn’t be able to do what they do.

This is why I’ve chosen to do this Trek. Not only is it a personal challenge, but it is also my way of giving little back, with the help of your kind support, to an organisation that was there for me when I needed it most.

For anyone who is currently going through cancer, or family and friends touched by cancer, there are resources and support out there for you. You are not alone.

Below are just some of the incredible services they offer. Any donations, big or small, will be gratefully received and very much appreciated.

Thank you so much!

 Max

Helen's Story:

I’m taking on the challenge of walking 100km across the Sahara Dessert in Morocco to raise vital funds for Maggie’s, a charity that provides incredible support for people living with cancer and their families.

Maggie’s is close to my heart, I’ve faced my own long personal battle with cancer twice, at 24 I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer and again at 40 with an early stage.

Both came with difficult treatments and operations but I am grateful to be here and able to talk about my journey as I know the fear, the exhaustion, and the way cancer impacts us and our families lives. My family and my friends have also felt this loss deeply, my brother passed away from leukaemia at just 25 year old and we have lost loved ones so close to us all and some very recently.

This walk is more than just a personal challenge - its a way to honour those we’ve lost, stand alongside those still fighting, and help ensure that others can find comfort, strength and community through Maggie’s.

Any donation, big or small, will make a real difference. Thank you for helping me turn this challenge into something that brings hope and support where it is most needed.

£38 - means an individual, couple or family can have a one-hour support session with a Psychologist, helping them address a complex range of issues

£150 - pays for one day of money advice to support people to claim the grants and benefits they are entitled to

£282 - provides cancer support sessions for up to 20 people to help them understand their diagnosis, treatment and life with cancer

Maggie’s Centres offer practical and emotional support to people with any type of cancer, at any stage, for free. They receive no government funds and rely on the generosity of their supporters. They focus on the things that really make a difference, such as financial worries, housing, help with managing stress and anxiety as well as side efforts of treatment and they offer family support. They offer this through 1-1 support or group sessions. There are 24 centres in the UK and 4 in London, welcoming 100+ visitors into each centre every day. They are an amazing sanctuary and the funds raised will help support the existing centres and perhaps even go some way to help the goal to build more centres alongside hospitals that treat cancer in the UK.

https://www.maggies.org/our-centres/maggies-barts/

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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.