My son Mark died on Thursday 19th January this year (2017) after two years with Stage 4 malignant melanoma. (an advance and deadly skin cancer).
Throughout his illness he wrote a blog that reached a huge audience and he has to date raised £181,750 for Cancer Research UK through his Just Giving Appeal
I am currently editing the book that he wrote in the last few months of his life, based on his blog with added new material. As this progresses I will be posting information here and on mark’s blog.
Also throughout his illness was constantly writing poems based on the experience of being Mark’s mum throughout the twenty three months of his final illness. For more about this see my entry on Sue Boyles’ Project 2017 blog I joined this project so that I would have a space to share my progress with other writers, receive feedback and share in the excitement and interest of seeing their work develop too. Writing can be lonely as much as I love it. It’s good to have writing buddies.
After Mark died, tributes poured in. These are just a few of the poetic ones:
A memorial walk from Bath Abbey to Swineford
On Saturday June 10th you are welcome to join us for a memorial walk for Mark.This has been organised by Chris in conjunction with Cancer Research UK.
Please meet us at Bath Abbey at 11.15. There will be a registration table at the side of the abbey.
The walk will leave Bath Abbey at 12 and we shall walk to Swineford via Kelston Round Hill. This is approximately 6 miles. The route will follow the Cotswold Way and should take three hours tree for moderate walkers.
We are planning to have refreshments at Round Hill after about 4 miles and then gather afterwards in The Swan Pub in Swineford.
This is the exact route Chris and Mark took on a very special day back in November 2015. By then Mark’s Dabrafenib had stopped working and he received a phone call while they were out saying that he could start Pembroluzimab, a new and innovative immunotherapy drug.So there was cause for celebration.
Please do join us if you can. We want to remember Mark whilst doing an activity he really enjoyed.
A friend is kindly organising a minibus to take people back to Bath after the event and there is a good bus route on the main road in Swineford going towards either Bath or Bristol.
We are hoping to raise money for Mark’s appeal for CRUK which is now at a staggering £181,750.
A note on Public Liabilty
Please note Cancer Research have public liability insurance for this event however their responsibility for us all will end when we reach Swineford. If using the minibus there is insurance cover. It is your responsibility to get yourself safely home by foot, bus or other means.
