In 1993 my wife was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer called a pheochromocytoma (pheo for short). Fortunately she was able to uptake a radioactive isotope which prolonged her life until sadly in 2003 the toxic treatment that had kept her alive took its toll and she passed away. At that time I was unaware that her cancer could be passed on.

It is now possible to genetically test for pheos and amongst my four children, my two youngest have inherited their mother’s pheo-gene. Unfortunately my daughter has a tumour in her jugular vein and my son has one in his carotid artery which means surgery is out of the question.

My friend, Dr Anil Mehta, an internationally recognised expert in rare diseases, is working on a related cancer, but is willing to undertake new research with the objective of finding out how the pheo-gene in my family causes cancer. He states that if we are to fix the problem then we first have to understand it, a route he has taken for another rare disease with some success. Anil has consulted with his fellow scientists in Cambridge and abroad who have endorsed his chosen approach to gain fundamental understanding by making a new test model of the cancer. In order to fund this first phase of the research to model the disease process we need to raise £20,000.  

Findacure is a charity working to promote research into rare and fundamental diseases. They have kindly agreed to support us in our mission to develop a model of pheochromocytoma. Any money you donate to Findacure, they will then use to fund research into pheo. Any support, however small, you can give would be very much appreciated. I have decided as an incentive to donate that when we reach our target I will shave my beard off. I started to grow my beard on 01/01/1971 and it has been a constant companion ever since, nearly 44 years!