A BROMSGROVE man is running the Shakesphere Stratford Half Marathon in memory of his father, who passed away after a brave battle with cancer just before Christmas.
Tom Stafford will be braving the upcoming half marathon on April 26 in memory of his father, Tony Stafford, who passed away on December 22 following a battle with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.
Tom ran the Worcester City half marathon back in September, where his dad was able to cheer him on, and he raised crucial funds for Leukaemia Care.
He is once again donning his running shoes to support Leukaemia Care and has raised £425 so far.
The lives of Tom and his family changed forever in May last year when dad Tony was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, despite no clear signs that he was seriously unwell.
Then one week later, disbelief was replaced by hospital admission when Tony walked into Worcestershire Royal, where he would spend 151 nights.
He underwent intense chemotherapy, bone marrow biopsies, and countless blood transfusions.
Tom said: “Bad days came, days where the chemo took more than it gave.
“There were days when he was too weak to move much, too tired to pretend he wasnt exhausted.
“But there were days when he could go outside, for a while, to see his grandchildren, as inside the hospital, they were isolated from each other.
“On those days, he wasn’t a patient, he was Grandad again- those moments were everything, as isolation was so cruel.
“He became the life and soul of the ward. The nurses knew him, not just as a patient, but as a person. He made friendships, and he made them laugh. He brought warmth into a place filled with uncertainty.”
At one point, Tony was in remission, but deteriorated again, and on December 16, just six days before he died, he was told that the Leukaemia hadn’t responded to treatment.
Tom added: “Nothing prepares you to sit beside your dad and hear that there is nothing left to do.
“Nothing prepares you to watch the strongest person you know face the end of his fight.
“And those final days were filled with love and heartbreak in equal measure.
“His fight lives on in us, and we want to continue his legacy and raise awareness of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and support others on this journey and their families.”
Visit www.justgiving.com/page/tom-stafford-18? to donate.
