CHARITY FOOTBALL GAME FOR YOUTH CANCER SUPPORT!

Next Sunday, I will be taking part in a Charity Football Game
to raise money for The Tom Bowdidge Foundation. This event has been organised by Mr Aaron Seago and I was happy to be able to be a part of it, especially when I found out it would be raising money for Youth Cancer Support. I did not know Tom personally, but some of the guys playing, played football with him regularly as teenagers. After reading Tom’s story I knew I wanted to do a little more than just make my own donation, as I knew I could not contribute as much as I wanted.

To find out more about Tom and the foundation his family have setup in his memory, please visit their website:   https://www.tombowdidgefoundation.org/

I’d like to take a short moment to tell you how Cancer has affected
me and my family, and why specifically I love the idea of supporting this cause.

Cancer is something you never want to hear about, whether it’s
about you or a family member, no one wants to hear that word... In the last few years, before me and my wife, Nancy got married we lost both of our Nana’s. While going through chemo they both showed tremendous strength and character.

My Nan was a Chinese immigrant who traveled from Hong Kong
as a teen with my granddad, she was somewhat of an introvert but always loved her husband, her family and her dogs! Nancy’s Nana was the life and soul of the party, and she would literally help anyone with anything, nothing was ever too much for this lovely lady. But what made these two women so special, is their character and will to battle such a terrible disease in order to spend more time with their families, and for that we will always be grateful!

…

Some of you that know me, may also know that when I was 21 I
was taken to hospital suddenly with excruciating pain in my left testicle.
After being treated, I was referred to a specialist clinic to have it checked, where I first heard the words ‘cancer’. I still remember the feeling today, where my heart sank, my throat dried up and all I could do was look at my mum in despair. After leaving the appointment, I stood by a water cooler to have a drink, struggled to breathe and briefly broke down in tears.

The positives for me were, that it was not certain the lump would be cancerous. But an operation to remove it would be essential in order
to biopsy and confirm the outcome. Either way, tell a young man he’s going to lose a ball (and not the kind you kick over the fence) and it tends to resonate. After a few uncertain weeks of appointments, my operation came through quickly. I remember my parents taking photos of me prancing around in the ‘butt gown’, this is what I called them. I didn’t get why the back always had to be open exposing my ass, as if my dignity wasn’t suffering enough lol!

Thankfully after a few weeks of having the testicle removed, I was given the news that It was not cancerous, and I couldn’t believe my luck. There would be no follow up appointments, no chance of spreading and no chemo! But not everyone is as lucky as I was.

So please, from the bottom of my heart, take a moment to donate
to Tom’s foundation in order to help some young men and women, and their families going through a tremendously tough time!