Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

On wedneday 11/11/2015, Remembrance day, our beloved Son Tom lost his very courageous battle against Lymphoma and HLH.

Whilst I cradled Tom in my arms in the final few hours of his life, I made a promise to him. I promised that I would raise money in his memory, for research into, and treatments for patients with Lymphoma, and HLH. Honouring my promise I have set up this 'just giving' page in his memory. Your donations are so desperately needed to stop people like Tom suffering & dying from this very, very cruel disease, and getting it in the first place.

Please , please make a donation in memory of Tom. Tell our Son Tom's story to all your friends and colleagues. Continue and build upon the remarkable fight that Tom so bravely fought against this very cruel disease.

YOUR donation WILL make a HUGE difference.

Tom became ill in January of this year (2015). At first he had what appeared to be just a normal cold, after a couple of weeks however he became very unwell. It became clear that there was something more serious wrong. Tom visited his GP for the first time in over ten years. Blood samples were duly taken & sent away for testing. Tom returned to see his Doctor the following day. He was told that his blood test results were very abnormal, and that he needed to get himself to A & E at Frimley Park Hospital asap.

On arrival Tom was seriously Ill. Over the following days an exhaustive array of tests & scans slowly began to discover what was wrong. Tom's symptoms, scan, biopsy, and blood test results were all very abnormal. It took ten days of tests & scans and consultations with Doctors at University College Hospital London (UCLH) specialists in blood disorders & cancer, before Tom was finally diagnosed as having both HLH & Lymphoma.

Since being first admitted into hospital in mid Feb 2015, Tom endured a total of 40 (forty) very long weeks of hospital treatments. This was split between both Frimley Park & UCLH hospitals.

In total Tom spent 20 (twenty) weeks as an in-patient in either Frimley Park or UCLH, in either Isolation, intensive care, or in a high dependency unit. Tom spent a further 20 (twenty) weeks as an out-patient, returning to hospital up to three times a week.

During his illness Tom received 4 programmes of chemotherapy, the side effects of these were very unpleasant. A fifth programme of chemo was planned to begin two days before he died.

During his time in hospital Tom suffered massive internal bleeding following a Spleen biopsy. Unable to stop the bleeding Tom underwent major emergency surgery to remove his spleen. Tom was very lucky to survive.

During his illness Tom received a countless number of blood transfusions and blood products ie Platelets. Tom received very many gallons of blood. Without the generosity of blood donors Tom would have died very early on in his illness. Our sincere thanks to all of you that donate blood yourselves. Take pride in the knowledge that you have saved the life of someone like Tom, and how extremely grateful both they and their families are too you.

On Sunday 1st Nov 2015 during a brief few days break out of hospital prior to the commencement of a fifth programme of chemotherapy, we moved Tom home to live with us. Throughout his third day at home his health deteriorated. By the evening Tom was seriously unwell, an ambulance was called, this took him straight into intensive care. After three days Tom was well enough to be transferred into a Haemotology Isolation ward. Only hours after this transfer Tom's condition again deteriorated. We were soon to be told that nothing more could be done for Tom, he was dying.

Three days later on 11/11/2015, Remembrance day, whilst in Gillian and My arms, Tom died. For three days, ourselves, Ben & Samuel, nursed, comforted and loved Tom. We were all there for Tom when he needed us most in his life. The grief and pain that Gillian, Myself, Ben and Sam are feeling now is beyond all words, our hearts are broken.

Tom was dearly loved by so many truly amazing relatives and friends. The pain, sorrow and grief that they too are feeling is every bit as painful as it is to us his family.

We all love and miss you terribly Tom, You are forever in our hearts and minds.

  Mum, Dad, Ben and Samuel.