Salford Royal surgeon Mr Dominic Slade is aiming to make sure his 50th birthday this year is a memorable one by teaming up with family and friends to raise £50,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Dominic treats people with bowel cancer and has witnessed first-hand the effect cancer has on patients but also on family and friends. He’s been inspired by the fantastic work Macmillan do both in providing support for those living with and beyond cancer but also in promoting health and well-being for cancer survivors.
As a keen cyclist, he’s decided to take on a number of 50-themed cycling challenges with the help of his brother and close friends to raise the £50,000. He will start with the ‘Cheshire Cat’ sportive on 25 March and finish in September, when he and friends will climb the mighty Stelvio pass in the Dolomites. This has 48 hairpin bends – he will add two more to make it 50 – with a 7.4 per cent gradient over 24kms. This has been a lifelong ambition for Dominic because it is where one of his heroes, Fausto Coppi, smashed the 1953 Giro d’Italia apart by attacking on this climb. For Dominic it represents a metaphor for human determination and true grit in the face of adversity, much like dealing with cancer.
Dominic said: “Macmillan Cancer Support is really important to me personally as well as to many of my patients. As well as raising money for them, I want to raise awareness of the work they do – most people know about the wonderful care given by Macmillan nurses in patients’ homes, but they actually offer expert support to people with cancer and their families and carers from diagnosis, through treatment and beyond, as well as funding research into new treatments.”
If you would like to support his fundraising, his JustGiving page is at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dominic-slade2
Alternatively, you can text DAJS50 £10 to 70070 to donate £10 via your mobile phone.