Why ... ?

Cancer is not a single entity: there are around 200 different types of cancer, some very common and well known, like breast, prostate, bowel or lung cancer, which together account for over half of new cancers identified each year, while others are much rarer, like the one I had - a soft tissue sarcoma, of which only 1300 are diagnosed in the UK every year.

Many of you reading this now will have been touched by cancer in some way - personally, or through a relative or a friend - and I'm sure you've wanted to do something to show your support for those working to find treatments and cures. Well, now I'm giving you one possible way that you can.

Why am I raising money for CANCER RESEARCH UK?Well, I have a couple of my own very personal reasons:

On July 7th 2008, I lost my older sister, Brenda, to secondary cancers arising out of breast cancer, at the too-young age of just 52. She fought long and hard, but couldn't win this one. She left behind three grown up children, Jonathan, Emma and Leah, along with Etaine, who turned just 9 years old on July 16th.

Along with this sad loss, as I've mentioned above, I’ve had an encounter with cancer myself recently. In 2007 I had a malignant soft tissue sarcoma removed from my arm. Fortunately for me, treatment seems to have gone well and I’m just on routine review follow-up appointments every six months now. Here's hoping that remains the case!

But both these experiences spurred me on to try to do something to support those people working to overcome cancer, and this 365challenge is the result.

I hope you can support me by sponsoring me for whatever you can afford and helping me achieve my goal of raising as much as possible for the vital work that CANCER RESEARCH UK undertake.

Click through here to view my "Why" video.

And please get in touch and let me know your stories or let me have photos of your loved ones to load up on my Remembering ... page - email me on colin@365challenge.co.uk