Navigating life with a cancer diagnosis can feel like a rollercoaster.

The shock and numbness of test results, the highs and lows of energy levels and emotions, and the mental turmoil of juggling family and work life, all whilst keeping up with financial commitments.

There are lots of supportive charities that provide in-depth research, information, financial aid & counselling support like Macmillan, Lymphoma Action, Blood Cancer UK, Leukaemia care, Leukaemia & Lymphoma Society and we highly recommend you visit these sites & access their support as they are an incredible resource. They were where my wife, Kelly, spent a lot of her time when I was first diagnosed getting her head around terminology & understanding the potential path ahead.

However, I wasn’t interested in this practical information. Actually, when I was first diagnosed, I didn’t want any stimulus at all. Everything felt too much to bear. I spent a great deal of time in silence, not reading, not listening to music and no TV. Even speaking on the phone weighed too heavy on me and I didn’t want to continually retell this living nightmare that I suddenly found myself in. I just wanted the simplicity of me, my thoughts & my feelings.

It was Our fundraiser campaign that forced me out of this silence & showed me how essential the financial, practical & emotional support was going to be to my own journey.

We are blessed to have a strong support network & family that gave us money to pay for our mortgage throughout my treatment. Kelly was able to get an additional job to help keep us afloat. However, I’m very aware that we are in the minority of people who have access to this depth of love & support. Too many are isolated on their journey. So, that’s who this foundation is for; families who are living with a form of blood cancer and find themselves navigating their path alone, scared and struggling. We want to create a space where people can share their stories, resources, love and support. And for those who cannot access financial help from the main charities, as their income isn’t low enough to meet the criteria but they do not have enough savings / income or health insurance to live off of. This is the situation we found ourselves in & without our family support, we would have had to consider a house move, using credit cards & a re-mortgage just to survive.

The research from Macmillan shows that cancer adds an additional cost of £570 a month to an average family for travel, treatments, lifestyle changes etc. Our mission is to raise funds to give families financial support, whether it to be to pay for treatment, to help make a fresh start, to help cover living costs when you’ve just been diagnosed or to simple help with expenses, so they can focus solely on their own healing.

We also want this foundation to provide resources & a community for anyone with blood cancer. To create a safe place where fellow travellers can feel held and supported by us and our members as we all strive to navigate this pathway, together.

As we begin this journey, we are looking to find our first family to support & stand shoulder to shoulder with… if that’s you, then please get in touch with us, here.

With Love,