Two life-long friends from Co Down, who have battled cancer, are joining forces for a unique tractor run aimed at raising funds for cancer services.
Sam Campbell and George Fisher, both 59, are two cancer warriors who have been friends since primary school. Now they plan side by side and with the help of friends and loved ones, hope to raise money for their chosen charity Cancer Research UK
Later this month they will take on a challenge to travel, Coast to Coast, the 131 miles from their hometown of Kilkeel to Killybegs in Co. Donegal, on a 1961 Fordson Dexta.
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Both men have undergone treatment for cancer and supported each other throughout. In April 2021, dad-of-two Sam was diagnosed with testicular cancer as he explained.
"Within three weeks of my diagnosis, I had surgery and follow up investigations which confirmed metastatic spread to the abdomen. I had three months of chemotherapy, which did not have the desired effect.
"Over the winter of 2021/2022, the situation was monitored by weekly blood testing and in May 2022, I was informed that the best way forward was surgical removal of the tumour.
"However, due to the tumour's position, it would be a very delicate and difficult operation to remove it and as such, would only be undertaken in the Royal Marsden, London (home of the C4 series Super Surgeons).
"I had successful surgery there in July 2022, which also involved an unscheduled removal of a kidney. The following November, I had 25 sessions of radiotherapy. In January of this year, it was confirmed that I had carcinoma in situ in the bladder and I started treatment for it within days of diagnosis. This treatment is ongoing."
In early 2015, George was diagnosed with Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) or Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
He started treatment which didn’t have the desired result and after a couple of treatments, was referred for blood exchange treatment. This greatly improved his condition and he then received several more courses of chemotherapy.
George finished that round of treatments in October 2015 and was in remission until 2019. He then needed more care and subsequently received more treatments lasting six months, which have kept him in good health to the present day.
He believes that the care he received and the improvement in his condition can be directly attributed to medical research and donations of blood platelets.
Like George, Sam has absolutely no doubt that the health he enjoys today following the above is the direct result of clinical research. That's why they have chosen Cancer Research to raise money for.
Although their cancers are very different, the common factor is that all advancements in cancer treatment, whether chemotherapy, surgery, medicines, scans etc, all are a result of ongoing research.
On the weekend of July 22/23, the pair plan to drive a 1961 Fordson Dexta tractor from Kilkeel on the east coast to Killybegs on the west.
Sam said: "I've worked on fishing boats all my life as an engineer so I've travelled to Killybegs frequently but never in a vintage tractor. But I know every bump in the road between Kilkeel and Killybegs and where all the potholes are!
"Our route on the Saturday will take us 60 miles to Ballygawley via Newry and Armagh before heading on to Kilybegs on the Sunday via Omagh, Kesh and over the Pettigo mountains.
"We're allowing an average speed of 15 miles per hour and we'll be rotating the drivers every hour and stopping a few times for breaks."
George added: "We plan to approach mainly businesses for sponsorship, the mindset being that to a trading business with a reasonable turnover, £100 is not a substantial sum.
"It is a tankful of diesel in a van, or a set of ink tanks for an office printer. However, if we can get one hundred businesses to donate £100, we have £10,000 and that is our target."
To keep up with their progress and for more details, including how to donate, please visit their fundraiser here.
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