A Jersey dad completed a “crazy” 100-mile walking challenge this weekend in aid of the charity that supported his son through cancer.
John Collier finished his fundraising mission on Saturday evening after 38 hours of walking around the Les Quennevais track to raise funds for CLIC Sargent Jersey.
The local charity provides support to children, teenagers and young adults with cancer, and their families.
John’s 23-year-old son Alex was diagnosed with high-grade spindle cell sarcoma – a type of bone cancer – in his leg last year.
The family praised CLIC Sargent for their support during this time.
“Sometimes you can feel quite isolated having a loved one with cancer, you shrink in on yourself and don’t want to speak to other people,” said John.
“Dealing with CLIC Sargent Jersey, they make it normal to speak out and talk about your feelings, talk about your condition, both the mental and physical aspects of it.”
He added: “What we’re going through as a family, we’re not the first to go through it, and unfortunately, we won’t be the last.”
Alex explained: “Last year, I was going through a terrible time during my chemotherapy, dealing with multiple infections whilst I was in Southampton.
“Then Tess, a case worker for CLIC Sargent, got in contact with me, and she’s just been so lovely throughout this whole journey.”
John has exceeded his initial fundraising target of £2,500, which he hopes will help other families going through a similar journey.
Alex said that his dad’s “crazy challenge” means a lot to him and other local families affected by cancer.
“All that work is definitely going to feel worth it, especially because of all the money we’ve raised,” he said.
“Raising that much money is going to help a lot of families get support and feel a bit more comfortable during their time of need.
“It’s hard to put into words.”
Meanwhile, John praised his son for his strength and determination throughout his health struggles.
“We’re all so bloody proud of him with how he’s handled this whole situation,” he said.
“He’s been so calm and level-headed, far more so than us at times.”
The family is also hoping to raise awareness of the fact that “cancer doesn’t discriminate” and remind islanders to look out for signs and symptoms.
John said: “Alex was so young and fit, he didn’t have any preconditions that we were aware of, he didn’t drink much and didn’t smoke and was very active so it came out of nowhere.
“It can hit anyone, and when we’ve been in Southampton for his treatment, we’ve seen it even more so, and it’s been quite scary at times.”
DONATE…
John’s fundraising page is still open and you can donate here.
