Harvey's Marathon Fundraiser for lung cancer

I have chosen to run the Brighton Marathon on September12th 2021. It has always been a goal of mine to run a marathon, and now it seems more poignant than ever.

In May 2021 my girlfriends father, Christopher Lyddiatt, was taken to hospital with a suspected blood clot. Weeks later, on June 13th 2021 it was finally discovered he had Stage 4 Lung Cancer. Tragically, 4 weeks later he passed away with his daughter by his side. I had the pleasure of knowing Chris for the past 5 years, and whilst he may not have run a marathon with me, he definitely would have been at the finish line cheering me on. And I know he still will be. Chris always brought a smile to those around him and lived life to the max and I now want to run this marathon in honour of him, his life and to raise awareness and funding for this horrific disease.

As many people may know, smoking is a leading cause for lung cancer however approximately 30% of all lung cancer diagnosis' are not caused by smoking, just like Chris' case. Shockingly, lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and in the UK alone accounts for 48,000 cancer diagnosis' annually. Tragically, lung cancer is also the most common cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for 21%. Now despite it being the most prevalent cancer, there is currently no national screening programme for lung cancer in the UK. Outcomes for this cancer type are consistently poor with approximately 75% of all lung cancers being diagnosed at a late stage.

For such a horrific disease you would expect the symptoms to match the severity. Yet the reality is, early symptoms of lung cancer are often dismissed as something else. Roy Castle is the only UK charity dedicated to fighting lung cancer, supporting patients and their families. Their latest campaign 'Spot The Difference' aims to raise awareness of the potential early symptoms of lung cancer in order to take the essential steps to increase early diagnosis and ultimately save lives.

Chris Lyddiatt passed away at the age of 56 therefore, I have set the target of £560 in honour of his incredible 56 years of life.

Many thanks,

Harvey Nichols & Lauren Lyddiatt