Me, in (relatively) brief

Make something foolproof…
…and they’ll invent a better fool

I’m alive – against the odds – and fully intend to make the most of it.

A diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (a blood cancer) in 2005, at the age of 23, was not going to stop me eating bacon sandwiches and living my life. After a lot of treatment, I recovered.

Life got even better when I married a fabulous Italian woman, Mariacristina, who was my neighbour as a teenager (don’t miss her amazing Neapolitan food blog, Coochinando). I even reached the five-year post-treatment, disease-free milestone that meant I was A SURVIVOR!

Then I relapsed – whoops. After eventually getting into remission again thanks to a clinical trial, on 26th March, 2014, I had a stem cell transplant (medically miraculous) from a then anonymous donor, who turned out to be Tim, now a firm friend and more – we’re ‘related by blood’, right?!

And now?

Now I’m four years old, living an amazing ‘bonus’ life and trying to use my experience for good. As a writer and speaker I am always keen to talk about myself (and beyond) to help others, raise awareness and other do-gooding stuff like that.

I’m an ambassador for Bloodwise, a peer supporter and Patient Champion for Anthony Nolan, a trustee at Full Circle Fund Therapies and an editorial board member working with Macmillan at St George’s Hospital. I also loiter around Shine Cancer Support, chipping in where I can. Fortunately I also get paid to work in my role as content stragist at Raising IT, helping charities make the most of digital to increase their impact.

As for you… sign up for the stem cell register (you might save a life like mine), tell everyone you know to do so, and give me a shout if you’d like me to share my words with you and your event/publication/etc.

BRIEF GUIDE TO THE BLOG

This site is an amalgamation of two blogs and has a lot of (maybe even potentially interesting) posts. Here are some key moments/posts:

The first time around

• Where it all started
• Introduction to my bacon theory
• Impossible decisions

Treatment challenges

• Life on the edge in intensive care
• No self-transplanting for me
• The sense of an ending

Oh wait – I’ve relapsed

• Here we go again
• The treatment doesn’t work
• Our first (and last?) Christmas at home

A glimmer of hope

• The clinical trial works
• A celebratory day of transplant
• Is it really 100 days post-transplant?

Building a life beyond 

• Fronting up an Anthony Nolan campaign
• Appearing on the news via Bloodwise
• Meeting my lifesaver

If you’re looking for the latest, just go back to the homepage