Cancer is horrific, cancer takes over your life as it throws a bomb into your dreams for the future and the happiness of those around you. But cancer does bring out love. It makes you love more deeply those you cherish and the friends and family around you who are always there in anyway they can - to make you laugh, to catch your tears and to help you through some of the darkest times. We as a family, could not have made it through the last 9 months without the love and support of our nearest and dearest. Therefore, it was not a surprise when we asked whether they would like to help us raise money for Cancer Research and Marie Curie that they stepped up to help immediately. “Would you swim with us?” we asked. “Absolutely, 100%” they replied. “Want to take on the 33km length of the English Channel?” we asked. Silence as they mulled over what we have asked them to do… and then the inevitable, they all stepped up to support our family, as they always do. Our team is made up of friends and family of all ages, from 6 year olds to 80+ years old.

Neil was diagnosed with ocular melanoma in 2018. At the time he had his eye removed and we thought this may be the end of our journey with cancer.

Devastatingly in May 2022, a routine scan showed that his cancer has spread, not just to his liver but also his bones, lungs, muscle, skin and peritoneum. We were quickly put onto a new treatment and we felt so lucky that a treatment that wasn’t available when first diagnosed in 2018 was available now. Unfortunately the treatment didn’t work and the outlook was exceptionally bleak. We then went on to immunotherapy, a relatively new treatment in the cancer world and although we initially had a great response, the treatment stopped working. We are now on palliative chemo as we desperately search for something else, a new drug or a clinical trial.

We would love your help in raising money for Cancer Research and your support of us and our friends and family as we attempt to swim the distance of the channel. Any donation would be greatly appreciated.