Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I have recently set up this account as am taking part in the London Bridgathon 2010 in aid to raise money for the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Unit at UCLH.

The reason for my doing this is because, recently my step dad has left that hospital. At the beginning of the summer of 2009, just as we broke up for the summer holidays, my step dad became very ill. We were first told it was piles and he was given lots of different medications but none of which worked and just made things worse. After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between our local GP and home, mum had had enough and took my dad to the hospital... to cut long story short, it turned out his blood was basically useless and numerous blood transfusions took place. It was also found that there were Leukaemia cells in his blood and bone marrow. I couldn't believe it, someone so close to my heart had cancer and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I thought I was going to lose him. Although he is not my real father, he has been there since I was 18 months old and I love him as my father; and the thought of losing him was unbareable. After months of him being trapped up in insolation in London, I finally got to see him again and I tell you, he did not look the same man...

After numerous amounts of chemo, he was on the road to recovery. After seeing the pain and suffering he went through and how it affected our family, I want to give something back. To the doctors and nurses that saved my fathers life. And to help fine a cure to help the unforntunate people who get the disease in the future, to help them and their families.

Please help me to make this change happen, thank you.

Nicola Crockett, 17

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