My brother Oli and I have always been really close. Some siblings fight all the time, and I suppose over the years we have had a scrap or two, but in the main we have been like best friends– inseparable really. He was my Best Man at my wedding two years ago, and one of my greatest memories of the day (after my wonderful wife Claire, of course!) was the speech he gave, that reminded me of exactly why we were always so close.

 

A few months ago, I received a call from him as I was finishing work. That’s when he told me he had been diagnosed with cancer.

 

It really was one of those slow motion moments like you see in the films where the world goes silent. As the older brother, you become accustomed to looking out for the younger one – protecting them as best as you can. But this news left me feeling devastated and powerless to help.

 

Yet he was so brave, and matter of fact. His positivity was amazing to me on that day, and has been every day since. He has viewed the entire ordeal as a challenge, and one he was never going to back away from.

 

Some consultations and appointments followed before he went in for surgery – a number of days in hospital and weeks off work later he has back on his feet and told that the operation had been a success although the cancer had been very aggressive.

 

Now he is faced with chemotherapy. They tell him that modern chemotherapy has changed, and that the side effects vary – he may not even have lost his hair. Nonetheless he has taken to this as with everything else – he has met it head on and last week shaved his head.

 

He is still as brave as he has ever been, and the prognosis after this treatment is very positive. Nonetheless he faces ten years of monitoring and checks – the spectre of this illness doesn’t end with the treatments.

 

I was so inspired by his courage and ordeal I wanted to raise some money for a worthy cause. Given his recent head shave, I thought how better to support him than by doing the same.

 

The photos on the page here should confirm that my hair is pretty long for a fella – a combination of reasons really. A desire to be a little bit different, last year’s trip to Italy and it being more suited to Foo Fighters and AC/DC inspired drum marathons are just the top 3. Although Claire hates it long (yet another reason for having grown it!) I actually quite like it like this – after all it has been two years in the making.

 

But with your support, it will soon be consigned to the cutting room floor. I bet there are many of you wishing you could be there for this moment, and some who would like to be the ones to take the shears to it themselves!

 

Instead, I would ask you give generously and help me make some money for a fantastic charity and a worthy cause. I will even be donating the hair to charity for wig-making purposes.

 

What I am doing is a small gesture really – for my brother and all other cancer sufferers – but everything we raise as a result of this goes towards research and scientific advancement. Science was never my speciality but if we can send people on a one-way trip to colonise Mars then we must be able to beat cancer. Breakthroughs are not cheap though - £’s mean prizes people!

 

Thanks for reading this epic – it started as a few lines but I guess I had more in my head than I realised – and thanks even more for your support.

 

Finally a few words on how safe it is to use JustGiving:

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.