Hi Everyone,

Depending on how well you know me this might be a bit of a bore, but I'll briefly summarise the context behind this for those who are unfamiliar (bit of a sob story incoming):

In 2020, at the age of 16, I was diagnosed with cancer - a mediastinal germ cell tumour nested nicely between my heart and my lungs. I underwent a couple of high intensity BEP chemo cycles over some months, got quite ill from it, and the situation being so grim was affecting people who cared about me. COVID wasn't helping. It was a pretty shit time to be honest.

Support in hospitals would motivate me to pursue my interests when possible so here is a picture of me with the family cat Tink playing bass while probably feeling extremely sick and fatigued ->

Eventually in 2021 I had surgery where I got clamshelled and they took the (now slightly smaller) thing out. Since then I've been monitored regularly and there have been minimal scares, so things are looking good nowadays.

The important thing is really that the support of PASIC during all of this made a serious impact, not just on me but on friends and family who had to deal with me from the sidelines. Those wards would be a pretty bleak place if we didn't have charities like this to support children and their families. I am extremely grateful for our actual reality.

I'm in a band now where I play lots more bass but at gigs now, and have done more education and work which I am proud of myself for and equally recognise I am quite lucky to still be here doing things.

My family have a great relationship with PASIC and like to help out at events. They have worked together fundraising before and it's honestly inspiring.

So I want to add to their efforts this year, and give back to a team I owe so much to. If you were thinking of donating to a charity sometime soon, or have the spare funds to do so, I strongly recommend PASIC.

Also if you are interested I'm jumping out an aeroplane :)

Here's a picture of my mum doing that with her cool PASIC shirt on.

Sam