Two cancer diagnoses. A growing family. A childhood dream with a new purpose.
As a child, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I was captivated by sharks — especially Great Whites — and the idea of seeing them in their own world.
I remember researching shark conservation at school. Even as life moved on, that dream never really disappeared. Nicky later surprised me with a shark dive at Blue Planet Aquarium for my birthday. It reminded me just how much the ocean still meant to me.
But the reason I'm now heading to Australia goes much deeper than a bucket-list adventure.
I was 35 when I was diagnosed with melanoma, just as Nicky and I had learned we were expecting our first child, Alfie.
We were planning for a new baby while suddenly facing hospital appointments, surgery, skin grafts, lymph-node biopsies and the fear of what the diagnosis might mean. Thankfully, surgery showed the melanoma hadn't spread.
Scans also revealed a cyst on my kidney. At first, it was something to monitor. For years, scans and uncertainty became part of ordinary family life.
In August 2025, a biopsy confirmed that the kidney finding was cancer.
Having already been through melanoma, hearing the word cancer again was devastating. In December 2025 I underwent a partial nephrectomy to remove the tumour. There was recovery, more waiting and more questions about what came next.
In July 2026, follow-up scans brought welcome news: no evidence of recurrence or metastasis. Genetic testing also found no cancer-related hereditary mutations. That relief means an enormous amount to me and my family — but it doesn't erase what happened.
During the hardest moments, the idea of a Great White shark expedition became more than a dream. It became a way to do something positive with what I'd been through.
I'm one of the lucky ones. I know other people and families are still facing diagnoses, treatment, uncertainty and loss. That's why I'm working towards £20,000 for Cancer Research UK, Kidney Cancer UK, Macmillan Cancer Support and Melanoma UK.
In October 2027 I'll travel to the Neptune Islands in South Australia for a four-day Great White shark cage-diving expedition. It's about courage, yes — but far more importantly, it's about what we can achieve together.
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