Richard Chalmers
Richard's PCUK 3 Peaks Grand Challenge 2020 page
Fundraising for Pancreatic Cancer UK
Story
“I have been in some kind of fight – for freedom, equality, basic human rights – for nearly my entire life. I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now.” John Lewis Dec 2019. The fight Mr. Lewis was referring to was a diagnosis of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Sadly, as we know, Mr. Lewis lost his battle for pancreatic cancer, passing away on July 17, 2020.
He did well. 1 in 4 people will lose their lives within a month of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, and 1 in 2 won’t survive beyond three months. Pancreatic cancer is the toughest cancer to diagnose, treat and survive. Shockingly, the only curative treatment available today is surgery, which only 8% of those diagnosed will have. This means that thousands of people are left powerless to fight pancreatic cancer, without treatment and hope for their future. Whilst any diagnosis of cancer is tough (as I know from personal experience having lost Mum and Dad to breast and prostrate cancer respectively), people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are faced with unimaginable odds.
I, along with the 3 Peaks Challenge team and everyone at Pancreatic Cancer UK, want to change the outlook for people diagnosed with the horrendous disease! We had planned to complete the UK 3 Peaks Challenge on Saturday 26th September 2020 (having had to defer from May 2020 due to Covid 19). Due to Covid restrictions this has now changed to the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge and indeed for myself, as I am in the US, I will travel with Natasha to Vermont and complete a 3 peaks weekend hiking challenge (most likely Mount Mansfield 3, 395 ft, Mount Colden 4,715 ft & Mount Phelps 4,160 ft) with our guide and great friend, Michelle Bayliss, who is a member of the Adirondacks Forty-Sixers (having climbed all 46 high peaks in the Adirondack Mountains).
The team goal is to raise £350,000, to fund the pivotal final stage of PCUK’s Grand Challenge which called on UK’s brightest scientists to develop an immunotheraphy treatment for pancreatic cancer, to extend the lives of people facing pancreatic cancer.
Thank you for you generous support.
