Story
Hi guys, Gaz here!
Background
Since 2014, I've battled Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone and soft tissue cancer. Over the past 8 years me and my incredible oncology team have thrown everything at it - multiple chemo regimes, radiotherapy to more metastic sites than I can count, a stem cell transplant, trial drugs - everything. But, in November 2020, my diagnosis became terminal when I found out my cancer had returned for a fourth time, now in my lungs, lymph nodes and brain.
I immediately decided I wanted something positive to focus on and was quickly set on raising as much money as possible for Sarcoma UK. I talk more about this in this video:
Gareth Emmerson: My Cancer Story. Team Gaz Emmerson Sarcoma UK Fundraising Video - YouTube
Land's End to John O'Groats
In June 2021, Team Gaz Emmerson cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats covering 1000 miles in 12 days to fundraise for Sarcoma UK. I trained for the ride whilst on chemotherapy and took a short break from treatment to complete the challenge.
Team Gaz Emmerson was comprised of myself, my wife Zoe, my dad Andy and four of my closest friends; Zoe A, Emily, Eliza and Tom. We raised £117,000 for Sarcoma UK and it was truly the best experience of my life. Ella Wills at the BBC wrote a great article about it here:
'I trained for a 1,000-mile cycle on chemotherapy' - BBC News
I documented the bike ride and my cancer journey on Instagram @gaz_emmerson so check it out if you want to know more about my experience.
A pint to send me out of this world
In recent weeks my health has started to deteriorate really quickly, all treatment has stopped working and the cancer has spread to my bone marrow. This has meant my body has stopped producing platelets, I've had a brain bleed, lost vision in my left eye and can feel my body starting to shut down. I'm heading from the hospital to the hospice to get comfortable and will hopefully make it back home for a short while.
One thing I never got the chance to do is the Three Peaks Challenge for Sarcoma UK that I'd committed to doing this year. My health just didn't allow for it and I'm gutted. So, instead, in true Bowel Babe style, I want to bring something positive into these horrible final weeks and do one last thing for Sarcoma UK and the great research they fund. So, if you are able to buy me a pint to send me out of this world by making a donation on this page, I really will be forever grateful.
One day, hopefully soon, no one will have to go through what me and so many other children, teenagers and young adults have been through fighting this horribly aggressive disease. Funding research is the only way to ensure this happens.