I’m running the 26.2 miles of the London marathon in loving memory of my Dad who sadly passed away in November 2023 at the age of 68 following a 9-month battle with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML), a type of blood cancer. If you can, please help me raise as much money and awareness for Blood Cancer UK, a charity that helps fund blood cancer research, transforming treatments and saves lives. Thank you! ❤️

My Dad’s story…

My father, Paul, was a healthy, active individual who didn’t smoke or drink excessively. But at the age of 60, became ill and was diagnosed with an aggressive form of T-cell Lymphoma in 2015, which is a type of blood cancer. Following multiple rounds of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, my father successfully went into remission and continued to live his life.

Unfortunately, at the start of 2023, he again started to feel unwell, suffering from fatigue, constant weakness and illness. After seeking medical help, it became apparent that something was wrong. After multiple tests and a bone marrow biopsy, my father was diagnosed in March with a rare condition called Myelodysplastic Syndromes with Excess Blasts (MDS - EB), a type of blood cancer. The condition is where the bone marrow doesn’t produce enough red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets which prevents the body from functioning properly. It is believed that the chemotherapy treatment for my father’s Lymphoma in 2015 caused the damage to his bone marrow. After his diagnosis, he was given a terminal prognosis with a 6-month life expectancy. 

He subsequently spent the next 3 months in hospital on a Haematology ward in isolation due to his illness which compromised his immune system and made him dependent on blood transfusions to survive. He was consistently very unwell as he suffered secondary complications from his blood cancer. His condition caused significant physical impacts including severe weight and muscle loss as well as mental difficulties as he battled with depression and suicidal thoughts. As his illness worsened, his condition transitioned into Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML).

Despite significant difficulties, my father was able to have 6 rounds of light chemotherapy which stabilised his condition for several months. This treatment allowed my father to return home, gain some independence and do the little things in life that gave him joy such as gardening which he loved so much.

Following health complications, he sadly passed away as a consequence of the blood cancer that he was suffering from in November 2023. 

❗️❗️❗️LET’S RAISE THE AWARENESS OF BLOOD CANCER❗️❗️❗️

1. Despite being the fifth most common type of cancer and more critically the third biggest UK cancer killer, blood cancer doesn’t have anything like the public profile of the other four common types of cancer.

2. There are 40,000 people diagnosed with a type of blood cancer every year in the UK.

3. Leukaemia, Lymphoma, Myeloma, MPN and MDS are all types of blood cancer.

Please find more information about blood cancer and the Blood Cancer UK charity here… https://bloodcancer.org.uk ❤️

Thank you! ❤️