11 months ago, we went on an overnight trip to Norfolk with the family to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. This was our first trip away as a family in 8 years. Along with our parents, sisters, and Coco, the family dog, we had a great time, walking across beaches, looking for fossils and narrowly avoiding tantrums at quiz night. 

A month later, our dad was admitted to hospital with abdominal pain. Several scans and biopsies later, a retroperitoneal mass was confirmed with very few other symptoms present. In the 3 weeks going back and forth waiting for some answers, at home, dad's condition deteriorated rapidly. Eventually, he was re-admitted to hospital when he was struggling to even breathe.

4 days later he passed away, three days before his 66th birthday. 

4 days after that, he was diagnosed with high grade B-cell non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. 

He never found out that he had cancer. 

Our dad spent his entire life working multiple jobs as hard as he knew how to provide for us and put smiles on our faces. He always left everyone in fits of laughter and the only thing he ever asked us for in return was to spend time with him. 

He didn't get a chance to enjoy his retirement with his family, but hopefully with your help, enough research will be done to catch these things earlier to give other families a fighting chance.