The Route to Berlin is Paved with the Greatest of Intentions - Read Alex's story

This article is about an epic journey and Alex’s story living with cancer, and the human endeavour that ensues to achieve remarkable things. There are many lessons to be learnt here. And, yes, I am cycling a distance on this side of the Channel in an effort to raise funds for an emotive cause. Please like, comment and/or share this blog, and contribute ￡s as you feel appropriate. 

Many in my LinkedIn network will know of the work that I do – mixing with some truly remarkable, pioneering entrepreneurs and businessmen and women. Each has an extraordinary story to tell, but many would have the humility to accept that the story that unfolds in this text is one of the most remarkable and emotionally charged of its time.

On this coming Sunday, 21st May this year, a group of people will be setting out to cycle 570 miles from London to Berlin in order to raise money for Miles’s (a friend of mine’s) 30-year-old son Alex, who was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain cancer 16 months ago. The prospect at the point he was diagnosed was that he had only weeks to live.

There will be over 30 people taking part in this epic bike ride – some of whom have little experience of cycling long distances – and all will have been training hard. I am taking part in the 82-mile marathon on the first day. I have acquired a road bike and have been training in earnest – heaven knows how those destined to complete the full 570 miles must be feeling!

Alex’s story 

After Alex’s first operation at the very beginning of 2016, his family was advised that the surgery could have significantly affected his personality and that he may only have weeks to live. In fact, Alex made an excellent recovery, to the point that, until recently, he was in remission. Today, he remains the same positive individual, although some vast mountains remain to be climbed – his cancer has returned.

After two operations, radiotherapy, and now with the debate around the next operation in full flow, it may well be that the only option is for Alex to continue a pioneering course of immunotherapy at a German clinic. This treatment has been credited with prolonging his quality of life and still offers hope of controlling – if not beating – the cancer. However, it is not yet available in the UK, despite this country’s innovation in this field of medicine.

Behind this is the dedication of a close family rallying to support a loved one. Add to this Alex’s pursuit of a totally organic diet with no alcohol and his family’s use of the internet to research treatments (which led them to immunotherapy), and you have the sum of the vast effort that brings us to today. Alex has also gone on to reach the pinnacle of his digital musical career, playing at concerts around the world to audiences numbering in the thousands.

The financial challenge

The bills for immunotherapy mount up quickly. Monthly costs for the designer vaccines come to ￡28,000.

The spend to the end of this month has totalled ￡310,000. At this point, we don’t know for how long Alex will need this treatment, but we expect (and hope) that it will continue for the foreseeable future. He is proving to be brilliantly resilient and, through this, is an example to us all.

There are many points to this story: the ability to research advances in medicine using the internet, the collective support of Alex’s family, and the friends rallying to complete this London to Berlin challenge. Cyclists of varying levels of experience are taking on this challenge to contribute something towards Alex’s hoped-for recovery.

Having now completed over 500 miles of training, and having been learning about long-distance cycling and the cycling machine, I am among many looking forward to the challenge, which starts in just a few days’ time.

This experience has been completely humbling for me. I hope the above has, in some way, resonated with you.

Please like, comment and share this blog to extend the readership. Should you decide you would like to contribute ￡s, please go to:

https://www.gofundme.com/alex-smith-treatment-fund   

The link leads to one of the accounts where financial support for this campaign is being raised. So far, it has accumulated in excess of ￡49,800 from 561 people in 4 months. When you make a donation, please put the reference DAHBR into the comments box so that I can thank you personally. If you would prefer to pay directly into the Treatment Fund account or send a cheque, I can send you the details.

In anticipation, many thanks for your donation and the circulation of this article.