I am cycling from Pisa to Rome in aid of Myeloma UK - a charity very close to my heart.

By early 2022 my dad had survived a remarkable 10 years with the rare and incurable blood cancer Myeloma. These extra years have been some of the most valuable enabling him to welcome two granddaughters into our lives and find his passion for cycling while raising funds for Myeloma UK.

Last year, my dad had used and exhausted all the available licensed drugs that had kept him alive. In February 2023, after no more treatment options available, he managed to join a trial for a new class of drug to tackle Myeloma and after a rollercoaster year of multiple debilitating side-effects, the worst of which left him unable to walk, he emerged with his first ever complete remission after 11 years of continuous treatment.

What has enabled my dad and other Myeloma patients to survive longer than the stats in 2012 suggested he would, has been the accelerated development of an incredible number of new drugs (more than for any other cancer). The pharma companies take enormous credit for this but so too do the powerful patient advocacy groups such as Myeloma UK (the only dedicated Myeloma charity in the UK), who fund research, trials and ensure the lengthy process of 'bench to bedside' for new drugs is foreshortened as much as possible, by making the patient voice heard.

That is why I'm so passionate about fundraising for Myeloma UK as I've seen first hand the incredible difference they make. They are literally helping to save lives of patients like my dad.

Any donation, however big or small, would be greatly appreciated so we can help make Myeloma history.