Tuesday 24th
July 2018
Devon and Cornwall Police Cycle Team raise £8630 for BCW
Earlier this year, 65 riders from Team DCP (Devon & Cornwall Police) and local cycling clubs took part in the 2018 Land’s End Challenge raising a remarkable £8630 for local charity Bowel Cancer West in support of their fellow officer diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer.
The team set off from police headquarters at Middlemoor in Exeter, riding 132 miles with several thousand feet of climbs through Devon and Cornwall. The first team of riders set off at sunrise with the final team arriving as the sun set and just in time to grab one of the last remaining pasties as a reward for their effort.
The ride was organised by Sergeant Owen Messenger after he read a story about one of his colleagues, Kelly Stabb, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Owen Said:
“I heard Kelly’s story and it was immediately obvious that we had to pick Bowel Cancer West as this year’s charity. It’s a tough challenge to ride so many miles in a day but it’s nothing compared to what Kelly is going through. I’m so please everyone managed to complete the route and raise so much for a great cause.”
Kelly, aged 38, has always been super fit and healthy with barely a day off work. In January 2017 after a few weeks of being unwell Kelly received the devastating news that she had stage 4 Bowel Cancer that had spread to her liver. During 2017 Kelly underwent two major operations on her bowel and liver and 6 months of chemotherapy. One year later, Kelly received further devastating news that the cancer had spread to various other parts of her body. Kelly is now described by NHS medical professionals as a ‘complicated case’. As a wife and mother of two young boys, the last year has been extremely tough for the family.
Kelly said:
“In recent months my prognosis has unfortunately deteriorated. However, a massive positive for me during this tough time is the selfless acts of so many people who have read my story, including those who have never met me but have still chosen to support/raise money for Bowel Cancer West. I would like to sincerely thank from the bottom of my heart all of you who gave up your valuable time to take part in this gruelling challenge.”
Colorectal (bowel) cancer is Britain’s second biggest cause of death by cancer but only ranks fourth for cancer diagnosis. Incidents of bowel cancer are becoming more common in younger people and local charity Bowel Cancer West are determined to do more to increase survival rates.
Ed Sinclair, Executive Director of Bowel Cancer West said:
“Unfortunately, young patients (those under 40) often present an advanced stage of the disease. The funds raised by team DCP will help Bowel Cancer West bring together some of the top medical and engineering brains in the UK to assess the latest technology for use in the region so we can improve survival rates in younger patients such as Kelly. We are so grateful to everyone who helped fundraise for the cycle challenge and to Kelly and Owen for their incredible support”
