An intrepid couple have embarked on a journey of a lifetime thanks to a charity donation from the firm behind a new Barton Marina development.
Cameron Homes, which is building the Lakeside development at Barton Marina, is donating almost £2,000 to charity to mark the efforts of Adam and Laura Alderson who are aiming to collect around £20,000 for charity with their epic 15,000-mile challenge.
The couple are taking part in the Mongol Rally, believed to be ‘the greatest motoring adventure on the planet’, covering 24 countries with drivers facing rough terrain including mountains and desert across Europe and Asia, with no support or back up.
What makes this particular feat so remarkable is that just two years ago Adam was on a palliative care unit waiting to die after being informed by his medical team that there was no more that surgeons could do for him. The rare cancer he was diagnosed with, pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), would take his life.
However, Adam, became one of the first people in the world to successfully undergo a multi-organ transplant and now, as he and Laura made a pit stop at Barton Marina on their way to the start of the Mongol Rally in Sussex from their home in Yorkshire, they have collected the substantial donation from Cameron Homes.
The Chasetown-based company is giving £1,500 to the target – which will be split between Macmillan Cancer Support and research into PMP - and £500 directly to Macmillan Staffordshire.
Cameron managing director Ian Burns said that the bravery and fighting spirit of Adam was a true inspiration to all.
He said: “This is an incredible story of one man’s fight back to health and for him to be now taking part in this gruelling rally is amazing. We hope other people will be able to sponsor them too as it is such a worthy cause.”
Adam said: “If someone had told me two years ago that I would be facing the adventure of a lifetime I wouldn’t have believed them. But now, here I am in the Mongol Rally, a true test of mental and physical strength, endurance and team work.
“Having Cameron Homes as one of our corporate sponsors has enabled our dream of completing this epic journey to become a reality. Every single donation helps us to raise valuable funds and awareness for the two charities that helped save my life. We hope to do Cameron Homes, their suppliers, customers and their team proud.”
Pauline Lewis, Staffordshire fund-raising manager for Macmillan Cancer Research, said: “We are thrilled that Cameron has decided to support us. With 14 people in Staffordshire being diagnosed with cancer every day, Cameron’s donation is more needed than ever and will go to ensuring we can provide medical, practical and emotional support and information for people affected by cancer and those closest to them. We are very grateful for their amazing generosity.”
