Exeter resident prepares to take on Bath Half Marathon
An Exeter resident has decided to dust off his trainers and take on the challenge of running the Bath Half Marathon for the first time, to help young people across the South West fight cancer.
Joe McDonnell, 20, a final year student at the University of Exeter, is preparing to take on the fast and flat 13.1 mile course on Sunday 3rd March in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. Joe, who lives on Old Park Road, decided to run the half marathon for Teenage Cancer Trust after his twin sister Sinead was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in May last year.
Joe comments: “After six long months of chemotherapy, Sinead is now well on the road to recovery. Teenage Cancer Trust have played a large role in this process, offering first class support to both Sinead and my family along the way. It was because of this support, that I found the decision to enter into this race an easy one and raise money for such a worthwhile charity.”
All monies raised from Joe’s efforts will go towards the charity’s South West Appeal. Teenage Cancer Trust is working on plans to develop a new state-of-the-art specialist cancer unit for 16-24 year olds in the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre. In partnership with North Bristol Trust, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is the designated teenage and young adult Principle Treatment Centre for the South West and Teenage Cancer Trust will be investing £3.5million into cancer services for young people here and across the South West region.
Every day in the UK, six young people are told they have cancer and approximately 160 are diagnosed across the South West each year. Teenage Cancer Trust builds specialist units within NHS hospitals that bring young people together to be treated by teenage cancer experts in a place designed just for them.
Traditionally treated alongside children or elderly patients at the end of their lives, young people can feel extremely isolated during cancer treatment, some never meeting another young person with cancer. Being treated alongside others their own age by experts in teenage and young adult cancer care, can make a huge difference to a young person’s experience.
If you would like to sponsor Joe then please visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/joemcdonnell
For more information on how you can get involved in Teenage Cancer Trust’s South West Appeal visit www.teenagecancertrust.org/southwest or email laura.scowen@teenagecancertrust.org or call 07908 433385.
