On July 11^th  this year Jon would have turned 40.  To mark this date, we as a family have decided that the time is right to start fund raising for Adenoid Cystic Carcenoma (ACC), the cancer that Jon had through the Get A Head Charity www.getahead.org.uk

ACC, is a very rare and, at present, incurable cancer. It is usually found in the salivary glands of the head and neck.

The problem with ACC is that it appears to not respond well to traditional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.  It is very slow growing  with only 20-25 people being diagnosed in the UK per year. Regardless of where it starts, ACC tends to spread along nerves and bloodstream. The most common place  is the lung.

Jon was first diagnosed in 2008 and after months of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy was finally given the all clear.  Unfortunately the cancer returned in July 2010 and had spread to his lungs.  He had some further rounds of chemotherapy which were unsuccessful and after putting up an incredible fight he passed away suddenly in May 2011.

Jon was one of the most kind and generous people you could meet but a total wind up at the same time.  He had a zest for life and even though it was short, he lived his life to the fullest and was adored by his friends and family – especially the women in his family whose hearts would melt with his smile and he knew exactly what he needed to do to get what he wanted from them.

He was always the last man standing at the bar on a night out with his friends & insisted that everyone had a drink in their hand at all times .  He always toasted the good fortune he had and he truly believed he had a wonderful life.

Even when he was diagnosed with ACC his positivity remained.  He said his illness was the roll of the dice, you get what you get and you deal with it in the best way you can.  Unfortunately the dice did not roll in his favour this time.

One of Jon’s passion was trainers and he had a great collection which totalled over 350 pairs.  With this in mind we have had made a trainer keyring which will be ready in September to send out to anybody who donates on our Just Giving page.  We thought this was a great way to kick start our fundraising for the Get A Head Charity.

Thank you for visiting our page and taking the time to read Jon's story.

www.getahead.org.uk   Charity No. 1118326