A TransPennine Express (TPE) conductor will be donning his running shoes this Sunday and will be raising money for the Christie NHS Foundation Trust.
Simon Rashleigh, 30, will be competing in the 21 km Great North Run – the fourth time he has run the course. He is especially keen to raise as much as he can as he received lifesaving cancer treatment at the Manchester hospital after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2019.
Simon, from Bolton, joined TPE in January 2019 and in September was diagnosed with he cancer. He was restricted operationally but was also to switch to a temporary role in the commercial department of TPE's head office in Manchester, which allowed him to attend hospital appointments.
He is now in remission and aims to raise awareness of Hodgkin's lymphoma and to raise money for those facing a similar battle.
Simon said: “I started treatment on December 27, 2019, and had 12 six-hour sessions of chemotherapy with a two-week gap between each session. This was administered by the Churchill Ward nurses at Bolton Hospital with the drugs formulated at The Christie in Manchester.
“The course of treatment was tough with some very nasty side effects, including losing all my hair. I remember only having one eyelash left by the end of the treatment. The cumulative effects were worse as each time my body was slower and slower in breaking down the chemotherapy.
“The physical effects of the cancer and its treatment are bad enough without the added mental health struggles. During my treatment the Covid-19 pandemic hit and the fear of having no immune system and catching a deadly disease kicked in. I was unable to see my fiancé, Joe Dobson, who is also a conductor for TPE, and the things that brought me a small level of comfort and joy were taken away from me. This was the lowest point of my treatment.
“Fortunately, the treatment worked exactly as intended but as a belt and braces measure, I was administered 15 rounds of radiotherapy at the Christie Hospital.
“The support I received from my family and work colleagues really helped me through the toughest of times. I had so many messages of encouragement and love. I remember my conductor instructor, Scott Jarvis, calling me out of the blue just to check how I was doing. These small gestures reminded me that people were thinking of me when I felt as poorly as I hope I will ever be.
“Now, almost four years on I'm running the Great North Run for the fourth time in hopes to raise money for The Christie Trust. I have previously taken part to raise money for cancer charities and it never occurred to me how the money I raised would come back to help me only a few years later.”
