2023 didn't start very positively for us. Days before christmas we lost a family member through lung cancer.

We were also witnessing our good friend struggling with a terminal cancer diagnosis; she tragically died months before her 50th birthday.

Cancer and diagnoses were all around us but the last thing we imagined would be that we would also be having to deal with it on a very personal level.

Andy was diagnosed with blood cancer between christmas and new year 2022.

Essential thrombocythaemia is a blood cancer which was discovered in 2013. It causes too many platelets to be produced in the blood which can lead to increased risk of blood clots. We believe Andy had a heart attack in 2020 as a result of a blood clot due to the cancer which, at the time, had not been identified by the doctors who treated him.

Andys diagnosis has been devastating and his treatment is still ongoing; he will be taking daily oral chemotherapy drugs for the rest of his life.

Prognosis is good although this cancer is not curable.....yet!

And thats why I am doing a daily cold water dip for 366 days of 2024.

So so much more research is needed into these new types of cancers..

I want to raise awareness and raise some money to help those clever scientists find cures and to support those doctors and nurses who find the right words in the darkest moments.

If you can support this in any way WE WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL

Thanks

Mandie.