I'm running the Brighton Marathon!

On the 7th of April 2024 I'll be partaking in the Brighton Marathon to raise as much money as I can for Abby's Heroes, Young lives vs Cancer, Teenage Cancer Trust and The Willow Foundation. I've set myself a goal of hopefully raising at least £1000 for each charity. For more details on this please read below :)

In June 2022 at 18 years old I was diagnosed with a Brain Tumour, more specifically a Pineal Gland Germinoma. Luckily I was fortunate enough to be given the all clear at the end of 2022 after undergoing Brain surgery, Chemo Therapy and Proton Beam Therapy.

Over the duration of my time being unwell I was supported massively by numerous charities who have made mine and many others journeys just that bit easier. I've chosen 4 charities who I feel really helped me to overcome this battle and thoroughly deserve any money that I can raise. All the money donated will be equally split between these 4 in the hope that they can continue providing their services to positively impact many lives.

I'll give some short details on each charity and how they helped me below as well as giving you an idea on where your money will be going.

Abby's Heroes are a charity who operate in the Southampton General Hospital, set up by a family who very sadly lost their daughter to cancer. They aim to support all children and young adults, as well as the families of those who pass through the oncology wards at Southampton. They give financial and practical help as well as creating long lasting memories for patients. I personally received grants, counselling sessions and gifts all courtesy of the Charity. At times of uncertainty they really helped to put a smile back on my face and I'm sure the same for many others who've been helped by them.

Young Lives vs Cancer are a charity that helps anyone from the ages of 0-25 with cancer. This can be through financial grants, support workers, providing accommodation near hospitals and so much more. I personally benefited from them as they have Social workers based on the wards at Southampton. They would come and chat with me when there was nobody else around, arranged everything to do with the other charities and so much more. I couldn't thank them enough, they were amazing.

Teenage Cancer Trust offers unique care and support, designed for and with young people. They fund specialised nurses, youth workers and hospital units in the NHS, the ward I was on at Southampton was funded by them. I had my own room and toilet kitted out with a TV, sofa, fridge and lots more. When I was in hospital for sometimes over a week straight it gave me the much needed home comfort and without it, it would've been so hard. They also provided a communal area with the likes of a pool table where patients could meet and socialise. These things all contributed to making the ward feel as less like a hospital as possible.

The Willow Foundation are dedicated to helping young adults take much needed time out from the reality of living with serious illness, creating magic moments that become lasting memories. They provide special treats like days out or breaks away for people diagnosed with life threatening illnesses of any type. I was lucky enough to go to Royal Ascot for the day with 3 of my best mates all paid for by the charity. After going through everything this was a very special day which created memories forever.

Hopefully you can now see where your donation will go and how it'll help to beat cancer, bring support and most definitely put smiles on many, many faces be it patients, families or even the people around them. Any donation big or small will go a long way and I'll be extremely grateful for any support given. Make sure to keep an eye on this page for all updates on my marathon journey.

Thank you for reading and hopefully donating!

All the best, Josh :) X