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For those of you who are unfamiliar with Brad's Cancer Foundation, and the amazing young man who made it all possible, please continue reading… this is such a fantastic cause, and Brad was a close friend so this is very dear to my heart…. Please give generously. 

The funds I raise will go towards:

Providing equipment for the care and lifestyle specifically for teenagers with cancer in the East Midlands. Supporting the development of a Teenage Cancer Unit, through the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Recent discussions with a number of key partners, including The Teenage Cancer Trust, Mid Trent Cancer network and the NHS trusts, involved have become very positive with an overall plan to develop a dedicated adolescent unit in Nottingham; to incorporate in-patient beds and out-patient facilities, information services and resources that will also act as a base for outreach and support services that will link with other hospitals and community services throughout the Mid Trent area (this includes Derby, Nottingham and Lincolnshire) t

o provide help and support to teenagers with cancer and their families to relieve the stress and hardship during a difficult time

The facts

Each day in the UK, 6 teenagers will find out they have cancer. That is over 2,200 new diagnoses each year. More often than not, these young people get a raw deal, receiving hospital treatment in inappropriate facilities alongside children or older people. In many cases, cancer in teens is not picked up early enough and symptoms are dismissed as growing pains or sports injuries. Because teenagers are undergoing growth spurts, their cancers grow faster than other age groups and they can be at greater risk.

Cancer is more common than you think – it is the most common cause of non-accidental death in teens and young adults in the UK. By the age of 15 you have a 1 in 600 chance of developing cancer. By the age of 24 you will have had a 1 in 285 chance of developing cancer. In the last 30 years the incidence of cancer in the teenage and young adult group has increased by 50% and for the first time ever, the number of teens with cancer now exceeds the number of children with cancer.

Teenage and young adult patients in this age group have particular needs that are different to those of adults and children. They need specialist care because of the rarity of the tumours they get and also for the particular psychological and social problems they experience. Their lives are changing; moving from education to the world of work and to have cancer on top of that can be a very difficult time for them.

The work of The Teenage Cancer Trust

The charity focuses on the needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer, leukemia, Hodgkin’s and related diseases by providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. The units are dedicated areas for teenage patients, who are involved in their concept and creation. Medical facilities on the units are second-to-none and they are colourful and vibrant environments, equipped with computers, TVs, game consoles – places where friends and family feel comfortable to visit.

Units are costing over £1 million each to build and TCT must complete at least 20 units in the UK so that every teenager and young adult with cancer in the UK has access to these facilities.

Since TCT was established, the charity’s work has expanded dramatically. As well as an Education and Awareness team with a vibrant schools programme providing information, education and advice that reaches pupils all over the UK, we fund and organise a multidisciplinary forum for professionals to ensure information and best practice sharing. We sponsor a teenage conference, Find Your Sense of Tumour, an International Conference on Cancer and the Adolescent and have just appointed the world’s first Professor of Adolescent Cancer Medicine.

What does it cost to build a unit?

£100,000 to fully equip a patient’s bedroom. This includes: an electric bed; interactive patient-controlled computer systems providing lighting control, web access, DVD download facility, networked with other patients’ rooms, school and home; en-suite bathroom; parent’s bed settee and furnishings.

£50,000 Chill out room - a therapeutic environment including music system, interactive lighting controls, aromatherapy facilities

£50,000 Music room, including music mixing equipment, a synthesiser and musical instruments for music therapy.

£25,000 Salary and expenses of Education and Awareness Officer for educational input to schools and universities

£20,000 Fitted kitchen diner for teenagers

£20,000 1 year’s salary and costs for an Activity Co-ordinator to help young people remain positive and occupied during lengthy hospital treatment

£10,000 Furnishing parents’ lounge/diner

£7,000 Production of schools information pack and mail-out to 7000 schools and universities

£2,500 Computer system

£2,000 Patient controlled electric bed, essential during periods of critical illness

£1,600 Laptop computer

£1,000 Music Centre

£1,000 Flat screen TV

£650 Bed settee for relatives to stay overnight

Brad Davis      31 May 1985 – 13 October 2003

Brad was an exceptional teenager. It is easy to say good things about people when they are gone but Brad truly was a special person.

At School he got by, struggled with some things but never really troubled the Teachers. Mischievous yes, but popular with everyone.

When Brad finally completed his GCSE’s he left school with a great sense of relief not really knowing what his future held. Within a couple of months things clicked into place for him and it looked like he had found his niche in life. Brad started college on a foundation Graphic Design course and shone from the very beginning. Where he would struggle with homework at school he would now apply himself for hours on his coursework.

He had the ability to be able to mix in any company. To sit and chat with his Great Nan, the next minute running around and entertaining the younger children.

Unfortunately shortly after starting college in September 2001 nature dealt its cruel blow, Brad found a lump on his thigh and after a visit to the Doctor he was referred to the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham where he was diagnosed with cancer in December.

As a child he was never really ill, the usual cold, sniffles, chicken pox and hay fever during the summer.

At 16 years old, Brad was diagnosed with a Rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue tumor in his pelvis. Due to complications caused by the tumors rapid growth and pressure on his
kidneys Brad was admitted to the QMC hospital just after Christmas 2001 and started his first course of Chemotherapy on New Years Eve. Happy New Year !!!!!!! …….

Brad was treated on ward E38 the Children's Oncology ward. His consultant Professor David Walker was a great doctor, and Brad and he hit it off straight away. Brad received excellent car on the ward but it was not very teenage friendly. If he was lucky he would have his own room from one of the four side rooms available, the other option was in the four bed bays on the ward, where he would be treated and nursed alongside toddlers and their families.

Brad had no problem with this and made many friends the problems started at 9.00pm when the lights went out and the TV’s were switched off. The side rooms gave him more freedom but you were also very isolated locked away from the world.

The chemo was very tough and Brad struggled with the effects and the sickness. He lost a lot of weight as his appetite diminished, it didn’t help him that he had no weight to lose before he started his treatment.

During his treatment Professor Walker approached Brad and discussed some of the other work that he was involved with and his passion for helping and treating adolescents with cancer. He recognized that they fell into a different category to children and adults and that their needs were different, and he was keen to raise everyone else’s awareness to this. Brad was happy to assist and was keen to talk to anyone about his experiences during his treatment and the needs of young people similar to himself.

After nine months of treatment and battling the side effects, we received some fantastic news. Early reports showed that the tumor had gone but there were still shadows or scarring visible.

The tumor had also damaged Brad’s main nerve to his leg and reduced his mobility, because of this he was unable to carry on playing football but such was his dynamism and energy that he volunteered his services to Carlton Boys his Brother Zach’s football team, and joined Scott and Martin on the coaching staff. Again his personality shone through and the boys really took to him and listened and respected his input.

By Christmas 2002 Brad was back in to the full flow of life. Excelling in his course, out partying with his mates and totally enjoying himself. Unfortunately just before Christmas Brad was re-diagnosed, the cancer had returned. We decided to go away for New Year and went with friends to a lovely house on the cliff top in Gorey, Ireland, and had a fantastic time catching up with family and sampling the Guinness.

It wasn’t until we got back and were on our way to the hospital for a meeting with Professor Walker that Brad admitted he had found some further lumps. This really knocked the wind from our sails; Brad had found these in Ireland but chose not to say anything as he didn’t want to spoil everyone’s fun.

Because of the aggressive nature of the cancer there was no treatment available to Brad and he was put onto a maintenance treatment programme that was to control the cancers development. As usual Brad took this in his stride, choosing not to discuss with his family as it turns out we think that this was possibly out of fear and also because of his nature it was his way of protecting his friends and family.

Brad chose not to sit and mope about his lot in life and went out and lived life to the full. Appearing on CH4’s ‘The Salon’ touching the heart strings of Adee and Paul and millions of viewers when he returned after his first trendy haircut, to have what was left of his hair shaved off as the maintenance chemo took hold of his body.

May 2003 saw Brad reach his 18th birthday and as usual he partied hard for a week, actually gaining the respect of all his friends as he lasted past midnight on the night of his party and awoke the following morning without a hangover, I suppose the alcohol was nothing compared to the chemo he endured.

Brad attended a couple of Teenage Cancer Trust events and had been really impressed with their actions and attitudes to the needs of adolescents. Following discussions with his family and friends he decided that we should start an action plan to raise money and awareness to help teenagers with cancer and their families and get things moving in the Midlands as there was a real need for this type of facility.

At VW Action that 2003 Brian Burrows, Brett Hawksbee and their team gave Brad their total support and allowed us to start our fundraising efforts. Although Brad was by this time very ill he found tremendous energy levels from somewhere to meet and talk to everyone touching their hearts as he went.

Unfortunately Brad lost his battle with this dreadful disease and died on 13th October 2003. His funeral was a fitting celebration of such a young man taken too early, with a cool turnout of VW’s in all shapes and forms.

From there on the fund raising has become history with people all over the country totally embracing Brad’s wishes with some tremendous fund raising efforts.

So come on people, dig deep... lets make a difference!!!!