A Legacy for my beautiful Daughters.

* Funds raised for this, should they surpass the goal, will be donated to Maidstone Hospital Oncology Department. This is because I want to support local initiative that treated me, and not be absorbed by Corporate. *

My name is Rob, and I turn 50 this year.

But rather than looking ahead to the next chapter of life, I’ve been told to get my affairs in order. I’ve been diagnosed with mouth and oropharyngeal cancer, which has now spread to my lung and will continue to spread to other organs. Hearing the words “start preparing” hit harder than I ever imagined.

In just three months, I’ve lost over 4 kgs and now live with a constant, unrelenting pressure pain that no medication truly relieves. This cancer is aggressive, unforgiving, and moving fast. But while I still have the strength, I have one final wish—a last adventure, not for myself, but to leave something meaningful behind for my two young daughters.

I’m a husband and a proud father to two little girls—just 1½ and 3½ years old. I now work for a leading UK supermarket, but before that, I served 16 years in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces as a member of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME).

Our motto in a nutshell? “they bend it, we mend it.” or the real one "Arte et Marte" (by skill and by fighting)

I left the Army due to aggressive rheumatoid arthritis, but I’ve always kept going—no matter what. Until now. Because this illness isn’t just threatening my life—it’s threatening my chance to leave a legacy for my beautiful girls.

In recent years, I’ve been a keen amateur gold prospector, panning across rivers and streams here in the UK. My quiet dream has always been to collect enough natural gold to one day be melted into wedding bands for my daughters. Something real. Something from their dad—a piece of me they can carry with them always.

That dream is slipping away.

So, I’m asking for your help. My wish is to take one final gold panning trip. A once-in-a-lifetime journey to Chicken, Alaska, to pan gold on the historic 40 Mile River. A family-run operation out there has kindly offered to support my visit and has assured me they’ll help in every way they can once I arrive.

They believe in this dream. And with your help, I can make it happen.

I won’t be going alone. I’ll be accompanied by Mark, my best mate of over 30 years, who’ll be there as my personal medic and emotional support.

Every single donation—large or small—brings this journey closer to reality. It’s not just about travel or adventure. It’s about leaving behind something meaningful. It’s about giving my girls a story and a physical piece of their dad long after I’m gone.

I want to give them love, a legacy, and a lasting memory before I leave this earth.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Thank you for sharing. And thank you, deeply, if you’re able to donate.

I will make sure to keep all donors up to date at every step of planning for the journey and my deterioration.

This isn’t just a bucket list trip. It’s a final mission like the old days on deployment. A way for me to remind my daughters who I was and how much I loved them. A way to kick cancer’s arse and leave behind something golden—quite literally.

Let’s do this together. Let’s kick cancer’s arse.

Yours Aye,

Rob