Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Having previously ran the Plymouth Half Marathon twice in the past three years, I was planning to make 2014 my third run to raise money for some worthy causes though this is no longer possible this year due to currently having my own personal battle with Cancer...

Having previously contracted pneumonia in August, I continued to visit the doctors to complain of chest pains.  After a number of X-Rays and scans, by pure chance, in November a CT scan picked up a lump in my neck.  After even more tests, on December 9 2013 I was diagnosed with having Medullary Thyroid Cancer.  In early January I went through major surgery to remove most of the Cancer as well as my thyroid and lymph nodes and am now waiting for the next stage of treatment.

Though this may come to a shock to some, those who have been aware of this know that I am determined to win my battle!  I am disappointed to not be able to run the half marathon this year for two reasons.  One being the feeling of achievement from crossing that line!  And the other being raising money for worthy causes.

After Christmas, I suggested to a few people that they run the Half Marathon on my behalf, and I've been overwhelmed by the number of people, mainly non runners, who have volunteered!  I have set up this page to be the central team page for 'Team Savo' (Savo is my nickname at home) and the team will be raising money for my chosen charities 'Reubens Retreat' & 'Macmillan Cancer Support'.

 

My employers, Vodafone, will match every pound raised, so if I raise £300, then Vodafone will take it to £600!  So the charity will benefit even more from your donation!

This page is set up to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, specifically the Plymouth branch "The Mustard Tree"

One in three of us will get cancer and it’s the toughest thing most of us will ever face. If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, or a loved one has, you’ll want a team of people in your corner supporting you every step of the way. 

Macmillan Cancer Support provide practical, medical and financial support and push for better cancer care. 

 

The number of people with cancer is growing every day. We want to reach and improve the lives of  every one of those people.

Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer. One in three of us will get cancer. We are all affected by cancer. We can all help. We are Macmillan.

We are a source of support

 We are a source of support, helping with all the things that people affected by cancer want and need. It's not only patients who live with cancer, we also help carers, families and communities. We guide people through the system, supporting them every step of the way. We fund nurses and other specialist health care professionals and build cancer care centres. But we give so much more than medical help.

People need practical support at home, so we provide anything from some precious time off for a carer, to a lift to hospital. People need emotional support, so we listen, advise and share information through our cancer support specialists, website and trained professionals. People need financial help to cope with the extra costs cancer can bring, so we give benefits advice, and grants for anything from heating bills to travel costs. Together we listen, we learn, we act to help people live with cancer.