Patient stories

Find out about the impact our work has on patients.

Sam Cooper in a park, wearing an ICR running vest
‘Developing new treatments is the only way to improve and save lives’ – Sam’s story

12/10/25 - Sam Cooper

When he was five years old, Sam Cooper, now 33, lost his mum to sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that starts in soft tissues or bones. On 12 October, he will be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon in her memory, hoping to raise £1,000 to support our groundbreaking research.
Alex Jemmett (credit: Alex Jemmett)
‘I’m running for the ICR because I know that funding is vital for cancer research to continue’ – Alex’s story

11/10/25 - Alex Jemmett

Alex Jemmett, 31, will be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon on 12 October to raise funds for our vital research in memory of three significant people in her life who she has lost to cancer.
Luke and Chris Marshall
Running a marathon in memory of Professor Chris Marshall – “I wanted to mark 10 years since Chris’ death by supporting the research that was so important to him.”

21/09/25 - Andrea Kohn

Luke Wijsveld, 48, will be running the Berlin Marathon on 21 September, to mark 10 years since the death of his father-in-law, Professor Chris Marshall. Chris was a pioneering cancer researcher who spent 35 years working at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), making vital discoveries which have shaped our understanding of how cancers arise and have led to the development of advanced therapies to treat them.
Headshot of Jolyon
“There cannot be enough research into cancer. That’s why a legacy gift makes perfect sense” – Jolyon’s story

04/09/25 - Jolyon Armstrong

Jolyon, 75, faced his own cancer diagnosis in 2018 and has also seen members of his immediate family and ‘too many friends’ touched by the disease. That’s why he has pledged to leave a gift in his Will to fund our ground-breaking research.
Rick Freedman wearing sunglasses
“I like to think I am contributing to our breakthroughs in cancer research” – Rick’s melanoma story

12/08/25 - Rick Freedman

Rick Freedman, 50, who is Head of Research Finance at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), explains why our summer fundraising appeal, which is supporting our melanoma research, holds personal significance for him…
Bea Buckley with her family
“I’m so grateful for cancer research, I have directly benefitted from it” – Bea’s melanoma story

08/08/25 - Bea Buckley

Bea Buckley, 40, was diagnosed with stage 3b acral melanoma, a rare type of skin cancer, in 2022. After three surgeries and 12 months of targeted therapy, she is now disease-free and feels hopeful about the future.
David Bateson (credit: David Bateson)
“Without immunotherapy, I wouldn’t be here now. I feel so lucky” – David’s melanoma story

23/07/25 - David Bateson

David Bateson, 49, was first diagnosed with melanoma, a type of skin cancer, in December 2019. By August 2021, it had spread to his liver, lungs and spine. Thanks to immunotherapy treatment, David has gone from having aggressive cancer to having no evidence of disease in his body. He explains why he now has hope for the future and a new-found appreciation of life…
Sally stands in her garden surrounded by greenery. She smiles at the camera and wears a pink top
"Every day is valuable" - Sally’s melanoma story

11/07/25 - Sally Steadman-South

Sally Steadman-South, a mother of two from Sheffield, was diagnosed with melanoma in 2014 at the age of 34, after visiting the GP about a small mole on her chest.


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