Dad Takes On Worthing To Snowdon Challenge For Son Battling Cancer

A team of men from West Sussex are taking on an intense physical challenge to raise money for the future of an 11-year-old boy from Worthing, who has been diagnosed with brain cancer.

As of February 15, Tim's fundraising page had raised more than £10,500 for his 11-year-old son Joshua and the Piam Brown oncology ward at Southampton hospital.

Joshua Browne has always been very active, he's boxed at Littlehampton Boxing Club, played football for East Preston Football Club and enjoys riding his bike.

In August 2020 Joshua began to suffer with headaches, which Tim said they put down to dehydration, too many fizzy drinks or too much screen time.

After initially finding no issues, Josh began throwing up with his headaches. He was staying with family in Oxford at the time and was rushed to the John Radliffe Hospital.

Tim said:

"We were quite lucky because the hospital specialises in children's cancer care, certainly things to do with cancer of the brain.

"They did a scan, and from that moment on our world has just fallen apart."

The scan revealed a mass on Josh's brain stem that was causing the headaches.

Doctors managed to remove most of the tumour during an eight hour operation — but because of its location it was too dangerous to remove all of it.

It would have risked the loss of some of Josh's vital functions, such as the regulation of his breathing and heart rate.

He was diagnosed with grade 4 Medulloblastoma cancer, the most common type of brain cancer for children to get.

Tim said the news was difficult for him to comprehend:

"I felt, what I can only explain to you as, like I was dying myself.

"I couldn't get out of it it, it hit me hard. Not as hard as it had obviously hit him, but I couldn't get myself out of this dark place I was in."

That's when one of Tim's best friends suggested focussing his energy on taking action to raise money for charity, and setting himself a challenge.

Now, a team of around ten local men are training in the freezing, wet and windy weather to cycle from Worthing to Mount Snowdon in north Wales in April.

The group plan to cycle for 60 miles a day for five days, and then run to the summit.

Then it's onto the fastest zip line in the world, Zip World Velocity 2. They'll be travelling head first at speeds of over 100mph for 1,555 metres, the longest stretch of its type in Europe.

Tim said: 

"One of our sayings is 'it's tough, but it should be tough, because what Josh is going through is a lot, lot, lot tougher.'

"When someone says it was freezing cold and really tough his morning, we're all like 'well so it should be. Stop moaning and crack on.'"

Josh has had four operations so far to make sure he can keep receiving his treatment, as well as a line to make sure he is getting all the right nutrients while it's difficult to keep food down.

He's also had six weeks of radiotherapy in London, where the family had to temporarily relocate. Fortunately Bidfood, the company Tim works for in Worthing, was able to provide an apartment for them in the city.

The family are back in West Sussex, but Josh continues to visit hospital because he's undergoing chemotherapy and his immune system is low.

The treatment is due to finish in August, which is also the cut-off date Tim has given if the challenge needs to be pushed back because of Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Any money raised will be split between the Piam Brown oncology ward at University Hospital Southampton and whatever else Josh might need in the future, such as travelling abroad for treatments. 

Tim said the group have had incredible support so far from Bidfood Worthing and iPRO. It's managed to get him a conversation with Eddie Izzard (video below), and a dinner with Alan Brazil (to be offered as an auction prize).

As of February 15, Tim's JustGiving page had raised more than £10,500. 

If you'd like to find out more about future fundraising events or donate, click here.