Couple raising money in memory of teenage son

Their son Angus Rowland died in 2011 aged 14 after he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia which proved resistant to all the treatments available at that time.

His bravery and courage have inspired his family and friends to set up the Angus Rowland ForgetMeNot Fund to raise money for Bloodwise and help fund research into new treatments to help others affected by blood cancer. Since 2011 they have rasised £165,000

Jonathan said: “This will be our 6th Walk and since 2014 we have some runners come along to join us too. We are very touched by the support of the community in making this day such a heart warming event in raising money to help others and raise awareness of blood cancer.

“The route is a favourite with our family and when Angus was having treatment in hospital, often months at a time, we would talk about how we enjoyed walking this with our dog Molly.”

Elizabeth said: “We were delighted to hear this week that the total raised by the Angus Rowland ForgetMeNot Fund has reached a fabulous £165,000. We are passionate about raising awareness of blood cancer, as it is the 3rd biggest cancer killer and the 5th most common cancer in the UK, more than breast or prostate cancer.

“There were no treatments to help Angus and we hope that our fundraising will support research to help others.”

The run/walk will take place on 2nd October, starting at 9am from Staplefield Village Hall. Participants can turn up on the day and have a choice of two routes - a 6.5 mile walk on muddy rural footpaths or a one mile walk mainly on roads. Registration at Staplefield Village Hall will start at 9am for the walkers and 10am for those who wish to run.

The organisers suggest a donation of £10 per adult and £5 per child. Dogs are welcome but must be kept under control as they may encounter livestock along the walk. Refreshments will be available at the village hall throughout the morning - so if the walk doesn’t appeal then all are welcome to come along a cup of tea and cake.

For more information, please email [email protected]

Cathy Gilman, Chief Executive of Bloodwise, said: “Every penny raised helps us in our mission to beat blood cancer, by stopping people from dying and making patients’ lives better. We wish Elizabeth and Jonathan the very best of luck and hope the event goes well.”

To join them please visit https://bloodwise.org.uk/angus-rowland-forget-me-not-walk-run

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