Bristol to London for BHOC & The Royal Marsden

150-mile sponsored walk, to raise money for the Friends of Bristol Haematology & Oncology Centre, and The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity

Hi, I'm Jon. In 2017, aged 37, I was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer.

Over the following two years, under the care of the Bristol Haematology & Oncology Centre ('BHOC'), I underwent 2 operations and received 3 different chemotherapy drugs to try and halt the progression of my cancer. Despite the limited resources available to them and in the face of overwhelming demand; the time, care, and compassion that I received from the team at BHOC was incredible.

Unfortunately, by 2019, the cancer had spread and we were out of options. My wonderfully funny but eternally pragmatic oncologist, Dr Axel Walther, explained that I could either 'let nature take its course', or, ("if I was willing to travel") he could refer me to another hospital to be considered for participation in phase 1 clinical trials. Thankfully, I was able to travel.

For the last four years, the team at the Royal Marsden in Sutton have given me free access to drugs that otherwise wouldn't be available to me. They have given me the most incredible care and support. They have given me friendship, and ultimately; they have given me life.

Two clinical trials, a boatload of drugs, countless scans, a handful of biopsies, some much-needed hugs and a dose of pneumonia later... I'm still here! The tumours in my abdomen and lung remain but, further to a PET-CT scan in February 2023, they are currently displaying no activity.

My journey may not be over just yet but it feels like a good time to say a huge Thank You to everyone at BHOC and the Royal Marsden for everything they have done for me. The best way to do this, I think, is to raise as much money for them as I possibly can. This will help fund more equipment, more research and better patient environments, at both hospitals, so that more people might get to enjoy the same outcomes as me.

I'm therefore undertaking a 150-mile sponsored walk from BHOC, in Bristol, to the Royal Marsden, in Sutton. It's a trip that I know well but this will be the first time that I've done it on foot! ....That I can even consider doing it is entirely down to the care that I have received.

I will be grateful for any and every donation that you can make, all of which will go directly to The Friends of BHOC & The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, split 50:50 straight down the middle. Please do sponsor me if you can. It will make it all seem worthwhile! And sincerely, thank you so much for your support.