I hope you can help me to hit or even exceed my fundraising target which will go help people coping with Cystic Fibrosis and perhaps take the next step towards finding a cure. I have added a section below from the CF Trust about the disease itself, but my involvement is due to my daughter Sophie having the disease.

Let me tell you her story.

Sophie was born in 1994 but like a lot of CF kids at that time, she was not diagnosed at birth. The heel prick test did not include a CF test at this time but I’m happy to say that it now does. One of many successful CF Trust Campaigns. She was diagnosed only after becoming very seriously ill indeed - when she was 3 months old. Medical support for CF kids was very basic in those days and it’s a lot better now, but it’s still not easy. Daily physiotherapy (morning and night) plus a whole collection of meds that aid digestion (CF kids cannot digest food properly) and tackle the many other aspects of the disease, in particular to the lungs. It was a shocking introduction to parenthood for Sue and I.

As Sophie grew up she spent long periods in hospital. We’ve never added up the time but I’d not be surprised to discover that she’d spent many years in Kings Hospital by the time she was 16. The main issue was lung infections that were very difficult to overcome and it led to issues with her weight as the body used up all the energy it had to fight the bugs. Like all CF Kids Sophie had a high fat high sugar diet to combat this but was then diagnosed with CF Type Diabetes in her mid teens that made life even more complicated. Balancing insulin doses when you need a high sugar diet is no mean feat. Throughout this Sophie has always been positive and happy - something we never take for granted.

Sophie’s lungs continued to deteriorate and she was eventually put on the transplant register. We had had three false alarm calls to Harefield Hospital when we rushed to the hospital in the early hours of the morning only to find out that the surgery was off for one reason or another. We were just about to give up hope of this happening when a miracle happened. Sophie’s lungs were on their last legs and I recall going to bed on the 28th Feb 2012 in tears fearing the worst - then suddenly a call. One last chance. In something that is the health equivalent of winning the lottery some great lungs had come available for Sophie and she also had the best lung transplant surgeon in Europe on call. We crossed our fingers and went for it.

The surgery was a success - Sophie is one tough cookie. She made a remarkable recovery. This February 29th will be Sophie’s 12 year anniversary of her lung transplant. The NHS is a truly remarkable organisation and we can never thank the donor and her family enough.

The cover photo has Sophie on a bike 4 days after her transplant! If she can ride then (with all those cables and tubes) what excuse could I have?

The one below in the middle is a post op photo - the number of machines she was on was truly scary. The photo on the right is for Sophie's return home :)

So why am I cycling all the way from Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh To Angkor Wat in Cambodia?

Partially to give thanks that we still have a beautiful daughter but also in the hope that other families may not have to go through this terrible experience. We need good CF Treatments that are available on the NHS. Let’s hope we can fix this disease once and for all.

And for that the CF Trust needs money!

The cover photo above is from Sophie and me at a Coldplay concert. Every time I hear them play Fix You I really think that between the NHS and us all - we just might have :)

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The event!

The first thing to say about the event is that this is something I've completely paid for myself - so you're not funding a jolly! Every penny you pledge goes to the CF Trust!

The route is about 530Km - so quite a ride. The biggest challenge for me though will be the heat and humidity! I'm really not made for hot weather :)

The route is as below:

Some blurb from the organisers:

Cycle through beautiful rural landscapes dotted with ruins of ancient civilisations and small towns where Buddhist temples nestle amongst graceful French colonial buildings and ramshackle houses.

Our challenge takes us from Vietnamese Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, through the rice-paddies and waterways of the beautiful Mekong Delta into Cambodia. We pedal on through this friendly country towards one of the most impressive sights in Southeast Asia, the Royal Temples of Angkor Wat. The fascinating insight into the region’s cultures, ancient and modern, are a real highlight of the trip.

More details can be found here: https://www.discoveradventure.com/challenges/ho-chi-minh-to-angkor-wat-cycle#

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From the CF Trust:

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic condition which causes sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive system. It affects more than 10,800 people in the UK. One in 25 of us carries the faulty gene that causes it, usually without knowing.

Cystic fibrosis comes with challenges, affecting our physical health, mental wellbeing and how we choose to live our lives. But our community is uniting towards the ultimate goal of effective treatment for all.

Cystic Fibrosis Trust is the charity uniting people to stop cystic fibrosis.