We are raising money on behalf of a very special little boy called George. We will be climbing the three highest mountains in the UK (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdonia) on the 14th of October. We will be attempting to complete this in 24hrs. Not only will this raise money but also awareness of the horrible cancer that George has developed.

Simon Burnett, Joanne Burnett, Sophie Bradshaw, Connor Drummond, Carrie Stern, Darren Stearn, Phil West, Alan Trim and Philip Dexter would personally like to thank you for anything you can donate to this amazing cause and charity. We hope that one day other children won't have to suffer in the way that George has had to.

George was sadly diagnosed with a rare cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma, in May 2022. His amazing parents have set up special named fund, through CCLG, to contribute to future research into rhabdomyosarcoma. Below is George's journey in his parents’ (David and Lisa) words.

George was three years old, when in May 2022, he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma.

George (or ‘Just George’ in his words) was born a smiley, happy, active boy. He quickly learnt to love books and picked up language to compete with mummy and daddy at home. His love of vehicles, dinosaurs and space developed early and he has always had a mature ability to show empathy. My husband, David and I are proud parents, loving the kind and resilient boy George is growing up to be.

At the age of 3 (May ‘22), George was a healthy boy. Overnight a lump appeared in the temple location on the right side of his head, with no other symptoms. Following a fast process of scans and biopsies, he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma

George then rapidly entered the world of hospital life. Whole genome sequencing taught us that within his tumour was a particular gene, making it high risk. An intense package of treatment was put into place (which included nine rounds of chemotherapy, aggressive surgery and 6 weeks of daily Proton Beam radiotherapy in London).

George finished active treatment in Dec ’22. Weeks later he began maintenance chemotherapy which came to a sudden halt by May, when it was discovered he had relapsed. The tumour had returned whilst on maintenance chemotherapy and only 5 months after radiotherapy. Relapse treatment began despite the knowledge of the success rate being in single figures. In July ‘23 we learnt that the tumour had grown 25% whilst on the relapse treatment. Treatment ended. Hospital appointments reduced to almost none and now we have been gently passed to the local Children’s Hospice for ongoing care.

On top of other common side effects from cancer treatment, George required a tracheostomy for six months. He continues to suffer from trismus (locked jaw) and needs to be fed and medicated through a gastrostomy button. This summer he lost the sight in his right eye and a new tumour appeared on his right lymph node. He has spent a lot of time in hospital, including a three-month stint across three hospitals, often isolated to his room. He has braved horrendous medicine, that could only be administered orally, fought temperature spikes, COVID and chickenpox. As if hair loss, vomiting and the long list of long term side effects wasn’t enough!

George has smiled and danced his way through his treatment, bouncing back from the challenges, demonstrating incredible strength. He thinks positively, waking each day expecting to feel well. This light every day shines on our family and resonates across all who meet him. He builds relationships with medical and care staff, remembering their names and offering smiles and good conversation. It is fair to say he is very loved.

George has a phenomenal memory. He loves learning (particularly science, history and maths), asking curious questions and soaking up facts. This September, despite the tumour progressing and the cancer spreading, George has started school. He strolled in on his first day, ready to learn.

As parents, who have had their hopes and dreams for their incredible little boy shattered, we hope that we can raise funds specifically for research into rhabdomyosarcoma. We want families in the future to be offered kinder treatments for their children’s cancer and for more successful treatments to be found for rhabdomyosarcoma. If this fund can go any way to helping other families battling this horrendous disease, then George’s incredible fight would have been for something.

CCLG have supported us from day one. Their resources for families, and clinical trials they have funded, have benefited us greatly. We are proud to work alongside them, raising awareness and funds. Each year, we will mark their ‘Wear It Gold’ day and continue to fundraise throughout the year to grow the fund, in the hope it will support future research projects.