Four words we hear a lot recently are “Cost of living crisis”. For many people, it’s a daily reality that the basics are increasingly hard to come by because of rising prices.

But for some other people, the phrase takes on a different meaning. For them, the cost of living is fighting a constant battle against an unseen enemy, it is a perpetual cycle of hospital visits, anxious waits for blood results, the fear and pain of frequent bone marrow biopsies and the agony of treatments that, by necessity, are brutal in their effect on the human body.

That enemy is leukaemia, and it is one that has attacked two members of my family over the last few years. I have seen the effects of the battle, both on the patients themselves, but also those around them. The highs of blood results that are better this week than last, the fear and despair when they’re worse, the sheer helplessness as a friend or family member witnessing it all unfold.

Some forms of the disease are more complex to treat and this is where clinical trials, for new drugs and protocols, are needed.

Cure Leukaemia helps blood cancer patients to access pioneering drug and transplant treatments by funding a network of specialist research nurses across the UK. Without these nurses, to ensure patients are monitored and cared for, clinical trials of these new treatments would not run and patients, that have exhausted standard treatment options, would miss out on potentially lifesaving therapies. Every penny raised for Cure Leukaemia helps save lives and also hastens global progress towards the eradication of all forms of blood cancer.

So, what am I going to do to try and help? I’m a cyclist, sometimes frequent, sometimes (in the last 5-10 years certainly!) sporadic at best. I can’t ride the Tour de France, but I am aiming to complete the 120km of the annual “Beacon Sunrise Express” ride on February 24th, around Worcestershire & Herefordshire. The distance is quite a push for me (I started training in mid-January) and the weather will provide an additional challenge!

I know that money is tight for many and if you can’t donate, I understand, but sharing this appeal would be equally appreciated, because without support, these trials will either not happen or will be greatly delayed.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this.

Jason