My friend Mike

Mike and I back in April

Before I started my walk, I met with my friend Mike Rabone who had been diagnosed with leukemia. We had a beer and I sadly learnt his condition was terminal, probably just a year...

We talked about the walk and I promised to tell him all about it when I got home. Upon my return I called him, only to be informed by his daughter, Leah, that he had passed away.

She had heard about my walk from Mike so asked me more about it. I told her what had happened to our family and why I undertook the walk. Also letting her know that her dad had donated and helped me reach 27.5k for Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice.

Here is her message back to me:

"I am so sorry and what an amazing thing you have done. Dad would absolutely have loved to hear about that and I am certain he told me about your walk but I did not grasp the significance, which is huge of course for you, but also for Dad who would have been thinking ahead.

Having spent the last two weeks at Sue Ryder with him I now understand and appreciate your efforts much more. I can imagine how he must have been feeling about you and the walk. I know he would have been so grateful, proud and also humbled.

Thank you, 27k is amazing. He supported many charity events as crew for walks/cycles for different causes when my kids were young. I hope you found it fulfilling, an amazing place indeed"

My reply:

"To think that Mike spent his last days there is humbling for me. I wanted other families to benefit, as we did, through their extraordinary care. To think that Mike and your family were helped by them means everything to me"