Latest Ride -

Had planned for a ride in Suffolk, but slight change of plans so will be doing a 500 mile ride of Southend seafront between 9th and 13th June 2025. Thats 100 miles a day for each year Archie was with us.

We shared many rides down the seafront with Archie sitting on my bike, so its a particularly special place that I like to ride and think of him x

About Archie and DIPG -

Archie was born on June 30th, 2017, and quickly became the centre of joy for our family. He was a happy, curious, and active baby who loved cuddles and bright colours. Archie enjoyed everything he took part in, from nursery and tumble tots to seeing his brother and sister off to their activities. He had a unique sense of style, preferring comfy, bright, and colourful clothes.

Archie was diagnosed with DIPG (a terminal brain tumour) in February 2021 following an MRI in November 2020 for an unrelated illness. At the time, he was symptom-free but underwent 30 courses of radiotherapy at UCLH to reduce the tumour size. In June 2021, we received promising results that the tumour was not detected on the latest MRI, but we were advised it would likely return.

We received immense support from friends and loved ones during this challenging time. We cherished every moment together, creating wonderful memories. Archie learned to swim and excelled in his love for Pokémon. He started school in September 2021, making a lasting impression on his classmates and teachers.

He had another clear scan, but in February 2022, the tumour started to progress and had returned. Still symptom-free, he had a further 10 courses of radiotherapy and continued with school. He also learned to ride a bike, which was amazing considering what he had gone through.

In the summer of 2022, we embarked on a tour around the UK, making unforgettable memories. We visited various places, enjoyed activities like crabbing and swimming, and cherished our time together.

At the end of August 2022, he started to show slight symptoms, having some trouble with swallowing, and a further MRI showed further progression. No more treatments were possible, but he continued to play and learn with his happy smile.

Unfortunately, he was unable to continue with school after the October half-term as his walking and speech were starting to be affected, but we were able to carry on with days out and enjoying time together. It wasn't until December 31st, 2022, that he was no longer able to swallow on his own and had to go on an NG tube. He also had limited use of his right side but still told us what he wanted, especially when it came to Pokémon.

On January 7th, 2023, our family started staying at Little Havens Children's Hospice, as Archie had deteriorated further. With their amazing help, we were able to spend time with him using their facilities. It was only on his last day that he was unable to leave his bed, and he sadly passed on January 26th, 2023.

Throughout this time, we received so much help from various charities that helped us as a family enjoy time together, many of which were started by parents whose child had also died from the same disease. I was humbled by how much people helped and how Archie just carried on without any self-pity. I want to return this kindness in some way by riding my bike, which Archie loved to be taken about on. I also made a promise to him to do the best I can, so I have been training to do as many charity bike rides as possible.

Please donate what you can to either of the charities, the below links take you to my individual fundraising pages : -

Young Lives vs Cancer

Abbies Army

Unbeatable EVA

Torbay Holiday Helpers Network

Thumbs up for Charlie

Make-A-Wish UK

Gold Geese

Little Havens

I've also created some social media feeds, so please share. Archie had a little duck on my bike when we went out, so I'm taking it with me on my rides and sharing pictures and videos. The QR links to the justgiving page, so hopefully will get some scans.

Social Media Links for @ArchiesDuck

Thankyou for reading, please share x

Previous / Future Rides

1st Planned Charity Bike Ride - London to Southend 16th July 2023 ***COMPLETED***

Edinburgh to Southend (Leith to Leigh) April 15th 2024 over 7 days

***COMPLETED***

I had looked at some rides like London to Paris etc, but almost all require signing up to just one charity. I also wanted to do something more relevant, and driving back from Edinburgh to Southend via York was one of our last trips with Archie. One of my friends has kindly offered to provide vehicle support, so will need to do plenty of planning.

2026 - Hoping to do the Wolf Way in Suffolk, was originally planned for 2025 but need to get planned more,