Freddie's Giving Page

HACKNEY HALF FOR CANCER RESEARCH

My Story

I AM RUNNING THE HACKNEY HALF FOR CANCER RESEARCH UK On the 6th of December last year me and my family sat in our living room - my mum having just got back from the hospital where my dad was sleeping after a car crash he had due to a seizure. We thought the worst was over, Dad was unharmed by the crash - but my mum gave us the news that the seizure was due to a tumour that had grown on the brain - My dad had cancer. The words brain tumour have a history in my family as on the 5th of March 2008 my cousin Ben Herring was taken from us after a battle against his own tumour at age 18. This news about my dad has obviously affected the whole family, not just in our worry for dad but bringing back memories of the cancer battle fought by my cousin. My Dads road to recovery has been long, turbulent and still incomplete. He had a successful brain surgery to remove the tumour - he required physiotherapy to regain use of his right hand and leg. For extended periods he was not able to walk or talk which made the fight that much harder. But having discovered the tumour was secondary cancer the primary source revealed itself as skin cancer specifically melanoma. We have been told 10 years ago that would have been a death sentence but thanks to the incredible work being done and the advancements being made my dad has good odds to be able to live the rest of his life healthy and happy. On the 30th December 2015 Cancer also took my Granddad, Brian Ryder - one week he was cycling to his voluntary job at the local university library, the next he was no longer with us. These stories show how important cancer research is and how far we have come but we still have more to discover to rid us of this part of life. I am running for Cancer research, for my dad, my cousin Ben, and my Grandad. I want to give back what I can when they have done so much for my Dad and the fighting chance he has to live out the rest of his life.