I have a good friend in Utah, USA where we used to live called Rick who is in need of help. We are very lucky in the UK to have our wonderful NHS, when we are ill we get free healthcare and government support. In the states with private healthcare this isn't the case, there are loop holes which mean insurance companies may cover some treatment but then decline others. My friend Rick has a rare esophageal cancer. He has completed his 1st round of chemo at a hospital that wouldn't take their insurance so they had to raise $20,000 for that treatment. His tumor got bigger instead of smaller so they moved to the Huntersman Hospital that could give a different type of chemo. Luckily this 2nd round of chemo will be covered by their insurance. Though their insurance will not cover all the treatments that he desperately needs. Rick and his wife Amanda are both tattoo artists, so are self employed. They don't have any sick leave and have not been granted any sickness benefits from the government. They are both unable to work while Rick is sick and his lovely wife Amanda cares for him. So they have to raise the funds themselves for the treatment he needs.

 

Rick and Amanda are a lovely caring couple. Rick is a man mountain and one of the most hardcore athletes we know. I never knew you could start the day with a gym workout and some yoga, go climb and maybe put up a new route in the morning and still have time to cycle up a canyon in the afternoon and not really look like he has even broken a sweat :-) So it breaks my heart when he has a cancer that is stopping him from eating meaning he has lost roughly 50lbs and becoming emaciated. So I would like to try and help this amazing couple raise money for the treatment that will make him better.

 

I haven't done any long distance running in 10 years, but I bought some running shoes last week and signed up to The Great Sprout Scuttle 10K, in Doncaster on Sunday 12th Dec. So instead of having 12 days of Christmas, I have 12 days to train for this run. I completed my 1st proper training run today. To increase the difficulty level I have decided to do the run in fancy dress. If I raise £500 I will do the run in an inflatable Santa Claus outfit. If I raise £1000 I will increase the stupidity level of the costume and will be open to suggestions to what this may be? Please can you help me reach these fundraising goals by donating. You may not know Rick and Amanda but they are a very special couple and our family loves them very much. Rick has many more mountains that he should climb, bike, hike or run up and I would like to help him get better so he can do this :-) Thank you