Alice’s Arc was inspired by Alice's journey with cancer. She was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma at age 3 in March 2015. She had 20 months of chemotherapy at GOSH, UK and proton radiation in the US. Alice spent a year cancer free but it returned in February 2018. She underwent 6 months of chemotherapy and a procedure known as AMORE in Amsterdam involving surgery and brachytherapy. Alice spent another year clear before tumours were found in her abdomen and pelvis in July 2019. There were no options left. Alice died, aged 7, in October 2019.

I had the pleasure of meeting Alice when she was in remission as my wife is friends with her parents, Sara and David. She was a lovely and charming young girl just playing normally with her friends (in Apr '19 she was clear of tumours). She didn't have enough of that type of time.

Alice's Arc aim to find better treatments to lengthen and improve the quality of life of affected children and their families (it accounts for 5% of childhood cancer cases / year).

Additionally, they want more effective treatments to be available at the point of relapse. Ultimately, they would like to see treatments in place that can cure rhabdomyosarcoma safely. Sara and David are doing an amazing job of inspiring and funding research towards this and have raised £3.5m to date and have 9 rhabdomyosarcoma research grants in operation!

Whenever I read any of the Arc stories (Alice's Arc enables other children to have their own Arcs too) it breaks my heart that with all our technology and knowledge today, we can’t cure or extend with better quality the lives of these children - or at least treat in a less aggressive way. This brutal disease robs these children of their future, and delivers the worst possible news any parent can receive.

As a father to two wonderful boys there is always a lurking fear, in the dark spaces of my brain, that someday, something like this could happen to them.

Life should be lived, lived well and lived long - we never know what lies ahead.

What I DO know is that two very good friends (who are also parents) and I have challenged ourselves to walk just over a marathon and climb up and down three peaks within 12 hours. The three peaks combined are over 7,000ft / 2,150m - so it’s a bit more than a walk in a park!

If you are able to donate anything in support of this great cause it is very gratefully received.

I know we are in a cost of living crisis and its not easy, but anything is appreciated and it all goes to this amazing cause.

And the other photo is of me doing an 8 mile training hike with some of the steepest hikes near my home. It was a hot day....but even so it was tough and that is only 25% of what we are doing in a month!

(Please note you CAN adjust the amount that JustGiving to as little as £0.50, I've noticed they have got quite clever with their recommended component!)