Julie was diagnosed with a rare type of thyroid cancer, Medullary Thyroid Cancer in October 2020, at which time it had already spread to other parts of her body. After plenty of research through other patients who have been living with this cancer for a number of years, Julie asked for a second opinion and was referred to the Royal Marsden in Surrey, where she was lucky enough to become a patient with one of the UK's leading head and neck cancer teams and join a clinical trial.

Julie is doing well on the trial and leading a nearly 'normal' life now despite having stage 4 cancer.

Julie was inspired by Emmy Coates, a previous patient at the Royal Marsden who very sadly passed away in 2017 with Medullary Thyroid Cancer.

Emmy cycled on a tandem from London to Copenhagen to raise awareness and funds for more research into MTC, which has helped patients like Julie and no doubt many others to have a brighter future. Emmy's legacy lives on and continues to inspire patients around the world, where she is remembered in online cancer support groups.

This year Julie is taking on a 'Home to Hospital' charity cycle ride, from her home in Somerset to the Royal Marsden in Sutton over three days. She will be joined by a small group of friends to cycle alongside her and help support her. She also has two very special guests, her oncologist and clinical trial nurse!

Please donate to this fabulous charity and show your support for all of the hard work at the Royal Marsden hospital, the research that they do there, is not just for patients like Julie, it's for all of our futures.

The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity raises money to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. We ensure The Royal Marsden’s world-leading nurses, doctors and research teams can provide the very best care and develop life-saving treatments, which are used across the UK and around the world.

From funding state-of-the-art equipment and groundbreaking research, to creating the very best patient environments, we will never stop looking for ways to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.