I will be completing a 100km virtual route for the Myeloma UK Four Nations, One Team Challenge.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. Thank you for your support. Together we will create a hopeful future for everyone in our myeloma community.

As some of your may know, Ian Gilroy, my love, my best friend, father & grandfather was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Myeloma in June 2020 during the first Covid lockdown! Myeloma is an incurable Blood Cancer.

He had been living with MGUS for over 8yrs. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a condition in which an abnormal protein — known as monoclonal protein or M protein — is in your blood. This abnormal protein is formed within your bone marrow, the soft, blood-producing tissue that fills in the center of most of your bones. Less than just 1 in a 100 people go on to develop Myeloma, and unfortunately, Ian is one of the unlucky ones! 

When Ian was first diagnosed with MGUS, we were told that upon diagnosis a patient would not live past 2 years, however, because of the fabulous work by Hematologists across the UK and around the world, plus also the amazing work and support of Myeloma.org, this life expectancy has now been extended, through Chemotherapy, Stem Cell Treatments and Clinical Trials.

Ian has undergone 8 cycles (months) of Chemotherapy, without a break!  He has never complained, and has just gone with whatever has been thrown at him.  He has put up with me constantly nagging him, checking his medications, taking his temperature and asking how he feels 24/7, all of this on our own during the Covid pandemic! 

He has now started the Stem Cell Treatment and is in the Priming / Harvesting stage, which throws up its own challenges! However, no word of a complaint comes from his lips - he is just "fine"!

When he goes into Southampton Hospital for his Transplant (scheduled on the 12th April), he will be in complete isolation because his immunity will be greatly suppressed, and as at the time of writing this, I am unable to visit him because of the current Covid restrictions. 

The process of the transplant is extremely invasive and there will be times, when he will be very uncomfortable, but knowing Ian, he will continue his "fine" resolute! Our Stem Cell Team expect he will be in Hospital for around 2-4 weeks.

He will then come home, and we will once again be in isolation, because his immunity will be compromised.  This could go on for several months, whilst we wait for his blood levels to return to normal! 

But his story does not end there, as because he has an aggressive Myeloma, he will have a tandem stem cell, which means in late Summer / early Autumn, he will go through all of this again!

I am completing this challenge as I believe Myeloma.org need people to be made aware of this horrible cancer, plus during these horrible Covid times, when I know that everyone has suffered something over the last year, I am asking all of you who know us to please give something to sponsor me in completing this challenge!

All charities need support, especially at these times, when they are unable to fund raise using their normal routes!

Please, please, please sponsor me and Syd to complete this challenge!