A decorated Hampshire soldier living with an incurable brain tumour is calling for hope and togetherness in the face of the disease as he gears up to take part in our Walk of Hope this weekend.
Major Marc Wilding, 50, from Andover, was just days away from running the London Marathon this year when he suddenly collapsed and awoke in hospital two days later. He said: “I don’t remember anything. I woke up in the hospital with no idea why I was there; there had been zero warning signals.”
Marc – who took part in ceremonies for the Queen’s funeral in 2022 – was diagnosed with two glioblastomas (GBM). He underwent surgery to remove the larger tumour, which was believed to have instigated the stroke.
The prognosis for this high-grade tumour is just 12 to 18 months. Marc is now undergoing radiotherapy and refuses to let this news get him down. He said: “I count myself very lucky. Ten minutes before my seizure I had been travelling 70mph down the motorway. The ambulance arrived within two or three minutes.
“So many little things had to happen for me to be alive.”
Along with a team of friends, Marc is taking on the London Marathon next year, and has already raised over £9,000 for Brain Tumour Research. He and his loved ones will also be participating in Walk of Hope, at London’s Paddington Recreational Ground, on Saturday (28th September).
Marc said: “I became a solider because I wanted to help people. In the army, you look after the person on your left or right. I’ve got friends and colleagues alongside me in the brain cancer queue, supporting and looking after each other.
“The Walk will be a great chance for us all to come together and give everyone a sense of fighting back. The money we are raising can hopefully go a long way for the all the researchers hunting for a cure.”
You can support Marc's fundraising to help us find a cure by donating to his JustGiving page. However big or small, it can make a big a difference.
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Published on Tuesday 24th September 2024.