My daughter Cassie was diagnosed with Leukaemia in 2020 when she was just ten years old. It was devastating news and the beginning of a long and frightening journey. Approximately only 350 children are diagnosed in the UK with her particular type of leukaemia each year. So she was damned unlucky. 

Cassie endured a tough 27-month long program of gruelling chemotherapy treatment. She hit many bumps along the way but her strength, courage and resilience always shone through. Slowly, as the hospital visits and medications reduced, life began to return to normal. But in September 2022, just nine weeks away from the end of her treatment, she suffered a relapse. This time, the only treatment was a Bone Marrow Transplant. Cassie’s luck had run out again as she was one of the 15% of leukaemia patients who suffer a relapse. After a two-month search, the Anthony Nolan Trust found a donor match and in January 2023, Cassie had her life-saving bone marrow transplant. We will be eternally grateful to the young German lady who so selflessly donated her bone marrow to save Cassie’s life.

Cassie has now returned to the dedicated care of the staff at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital in Cardiff for her continued journey towards recovery. So it is only fitting that my CarTen 💯 cycling challenge this year raises funds for the hospital charity which has overseen Cassie’s care from diagnosis, through treatment and now onto recovery.

It’s been a rough journey. But her strength, resilience and determination have kept our family going. Witnessing how she has dealt with her condition has been a humbling experience and she remains a true inspiration to all who know her. Her positivity shines through as she continues to live life by her favourite motto :- “When life throws you a lemon, make lemonade”. Suffice to say, we do our best to make lemonade 😀

The doctors and nurses at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital saved my daughter’s life. NACHC made the tough journey more bearable. So I want to give something back to the place which has been instrumental in her initial diagnosis, treatment and now recovery.

You can help me to achieve this by supporting my participation in the CARTEN100 bike ride from Cardiff to Tenby on Cassie’s behalf. It takes place on Saturday 20th May and the ask is simple - a 100+ mile bike ride, in a day from Cardiff to Tenby. 

It’s a challenge - but nothing compared to the challenges Cassie has faced over the last 30 months since her initial diagnosis. It’s a small ask of a Dad who has had to stand by helplessly as his daughter has endured such a traumatic ordeal. 

My training for the CarTen has now started. It’ll be just as tough as last year when I first rode it and raised £8,000 for LATCH Children’s Cancer Charity. But I now know what lies ahead - AND I have the benefit of being able to train for it; Cassie had no training for her leukaemia nor her Bone Marrow transplant. But she’s faced her challenge with the utmost guts and determination - and always with a smile on her face. I can’t guarantee a smile on 20th May, but I won’t let her down with my determination.

This year, all funds raised by the riders will be donated to Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital Charity. They rely entirely on gifts and donations and work incredibly hard to raise funds to improve treatment and outcomes for children through new and innovative medical equipment and investment in the future by providing technology for tomorrow’s technicians. They strive to make hospital a less frightening and more comfortable place for children and their families by offering play specialists and an emotional support service to make those long hospital days (and often nights) just that little more bearable. When hospital becomes your temporary home, you really appreciate what such charities do.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page and reading my story. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.