I only wanted the running vest...

Somehow, I'm now running the London Marathon.

This wasn't exactly the plan.

I'm not a marathon runner. I've done a couple of half marathons, but when I entered the London Marathon ballot I genuinely didn't expect to get a place. Part of my thinking was that I'd get a running vest out of it, do a bit more exercise and lose some weight.

Then I got a place.

So now I actually have to run 26.2 miles.

And if I'm going to do something slightly ridiculous like that, I want it to count.

Why Ocular Melanoma UK?

I'm a Consultant Interventional Radiologist at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, where part of my work involves delivering chemosaturation therapy to patients with metastatic ocular melanoma.

Ocular melanoma is a rare cancer of the eye, with around 750 people diagnosed in the UK each year. Sadly, in around half of patients, the cancer will spread to other parts of the body, most commonly the liver. When this happens, treatment options can be limited, and patients and their families can face an incredibly difficult and uncertain future.

Because the disease is so rare, many people have never even heard of ocular melanoma until the day they are diagnosed. Finding reliable information, support and, perhaps most importantly, other people who genuinely understand what you're going through isn't always easy.

Working with people affected by this disease has taught me something important.

As clinicians, we can sometimes become very focused on the procedure we're delivering. That's naturally our job. But the procedure itself is only one small part of everything a patient and their family actually go through.

We see people when they come into hospital. We treat them. But we don't always see everything that happens afterwards, the worry between appointments, the impact on family life, the uncertainty about the future, or simply the need to speak to somebody who gets it.

That's where Ocular Melanoma UK comes in.

I first became involved with OMUK through my work, but it was attending their conference and spending time talking to patients that really made me appreciate what the charity does.

I've seen first-hand the value of bringing together people who understand what each other is going through. I've seen how important it is to have somewhere to turn for trusted information, practical help and emotional support.

I've come to believe that this support can be every bit as important to someone's journey as the treatment we provide in hospital.

That's really why I've chosen to run for OMUK.

I know some of the people this charity supports because I've had the privilege of being involved in their treatment. I've spoken to them, listened to them and seen some of what they and their families have had to go through.

I know that what happens after someone walks out of the treatment room matters too.

So, why am I running?

Partly because I've now got the place and there's no getting out of it.

But more importantly, I want to raise money for a fantastic small charity doing an enormous amount for people who don't have many other places to turn.

What could your support make possible?

The money raised can make a very real difference to people affected by ocular melanoma.

• £26 could provide an hour of specialist helpline support to someone affected by ocular melanoma, giving them somewhere to turn when they need information, reassurance or simply someone who understands.

• £100 could provide overnight accommodation for a couple attending OMUK's annual patient conference, helping people meet others living with the same rare cancer and access support regardless of where they live.

• £300 could provide a course of specialist psychological support for someone affected by ocular melanoma, helping them cope with the emotional impact of their diagnosis and everything that can come with it.

• £2,000 could keep OMUK's specialist helpline available to patients and families for an entire month.

I've set myself an initial target of £3,000, although I'm hoping we can go further and get closer to £5,000.

Whatever we raise, OMUK will be able to use it where it can make the greatest difference. Hopefully those examples give you some idea of just how much your sponsorship could help.

Whether it's £10, £26, £100 or considerably more, it all adds up.

And I'll have to run exactly the same 26.2 miles either way, so you might as well make it worth it.

More Than a Finish Line

I'm not chasing a particular marathon time. This is my first one, so the goal is simple.

Finish.

My wife, children and family will be there on the day, and crossing that finish line will be a huge personal achievement.

But knowing that every mile has helped raise money for people affected by ocular melanoma will make it mean considerably more.

So if you're thinking about sponsoring me, your donation will do two things.

Firstly, it'll give me some much-needed motivation when I'm several miles into a training run wondering why on earth I signed up for this.

More importantly, you'll be supporting patients and families going through some of the darkest moments of their lives.

Whatever you can give, thank you. It really will make a difference.

And if nothing else, I suppose I did get the running vest.