Friends plan 1,100-mile cycle ride from Milton Keynes to Rome to help young man battling rare aggressive cancer
Eight friends are to cycle hundreds of miles to Rome to raise cash for cancer charities in honour of their pal.
And their former cycle buddy Ethan Hill has helped them plan the epic trip – even though he is too stricken with the disease to take part.
Ethan, 27, was diagnosed in 2021 with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer affecting bones or soft tissue in teenagers and young adults, and has undergone intenive chemotherapy and surgeries in a bid to fight it,
Sadly the cancer keeps coming back in different parts of his body and doctors have deemed it incurable. He is about to start another round of chemotherapy but nobody knows what will happen next, say his friends.
“But through it all, he continues to fight. With remarkable resilience, he holds on to hope and faces each day with courage, determination, and an unwavering will to live...This is not just a story about cancer. It’s a story about strength, love, and the relentless human spirit,” they said.
The friends, Danny Bride, Nathaniel Streek, Ollie Bishop, George Greer, Jesse Horn, JoshKnox, Jordan Knox and Matt Hill — will leave Milton Keynes on April 25, arriving in Rome on May. 8. They have already raised £19,600 of their £20,000 target, with just £400 standing between them and their goal.
You can view their fundraising page, which is called called Pedal4Purpose, here. To donate or follow the ride live, visit here or find the team on Instagram @pedal4purpose_uk.
Meanwhile, Ethan is receiving palliative care from Willen hospice and keeping busy planning Pedal4Purpose and concentrating upon the things he loves - music, film and Formula 1.
“Despite everything and losing the chance to live the life he deserved to have, Ethan remains happy and peaceful - often found with his little dog Stanley by his side... His spirit remains unbroken,” said his friends.
- All funds will be split evenly between Willen Hospice, which must raise £8.7 million each year to provide its services free of charge to local people, and Sarcoma UK, the only UK charity dedicated exclusively to all types of sarcoma.