In October 2018 my dear friend and colleague David Mepham died from cancer. David fell ill in June 2016 and despite quick treatment and the best that modern medicine could offer, David passed away just two years after he was diagnosed, leaving behind a beautiful family. 

David was an amazing person! And it's a privilege to attempt this ridiculously difficult physical challenge in his memory, in order to raise money for a charity close to his heart (more of which later).

But first let me tell you something about this incredible man. David was probably the smartest person I ever met, but was also generous, kind, funny, warm and energetic. He was the sort of person who could read an entire book in a day and still have time to spare. He thought, spoke and acted with lightning speed, always seeming impatient and hungry for more knowledge, more results, more life. He loved to gossip and drink red wine (preferably both at the same time). And of course he loved his family - his wife Charlotte, daughter Hannah, and son Ben, who he was so proud of and devastated to leave behind. 

As David's illness progressed, it soon became clear that he couldn't stay at home. He was in too much pain, especially at night, and needed trained medical staff to administer the cocktails of medicines needed to keep him alive and, as much as was humanly possible, pain-free. Although David must have ached to be close to Charlotte and the kids in those last few difficult weeks of his life, he knew it would place too great a burden on them, not just because of the care he needed but of how they would be exposed to his suffering as such close quarters. David, of course, had thoroughly researched his illness and knew that things would get rough at the end. He decided - bravely, but necessarily - that maybe his kids didn't need to witness it all a

I remember being quite taken aback when David told me of how he'd visited a hospice 

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.