Nine friends and family of an inspirational dad-of-two who died aged 35 after a battle with cancer are embarking on a 182-mile sponsored walk from London to Kirkburton.
Big Ben to Burton is a walk from the London landmark to the village of Kirkburton to raise money in memory of Ben Jebson.
Back in 2014 Ben, a keen cricketer, was diagnosed with stage 2b Hodgkin lymphoma and, as a fit young man, was told he had an 80% chance of being free of the disease in six months.
Sadly, the cancer proved more resistant to treatment and Ben needed two kinds of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, antibody treatment and an allogenic stem cell transplant.
Though he was given the all-clear from cancer in May 2016, he later developed Graft v Host Disease as complications set in as a result of the stem cell transplant. That was the start of a long and horrible journey for Ben and his family and he died in 2019.
Ben left behind a young family, including his wife Lucy, 33, and two daughters, Frankie aged four and Bobbie aged two.
Lucy is taking part in the walk, along with a family friend, local chef Tim Bilton, and Lucy said: “We are incredibly excited but we know it’s going to be tough.”
Lucy wants to keep Ben’s name and memory alive for their children and said: “There is a saying ‘a man is not gone while his name is still spoken.’
“As a family we talk about Ben daily but to know that those around us are remembering him too means a lot to all of us. In years to come we can show our girls how much their dad meant to so many people.”
The walk started on Saturday April 9 at Big Ben and will finish in Kirkburton on Friday April 15. There will be seven legs of between 17 and 31 miles a day and supporters are being encouraged to join the walk on the last day from Mosborough.
The challenge is already close to its £20,000 target thanks, in large part, to Simon Docherty, of Harvey’s bar and kitchen, who took on the Goggins 4x4x48 challenge last year and raised £11,000.
The walk will raise money for The Kirkwood; Hug on a Tray, which provides tea and snacks for patients at St James’ Hospital in Leeds; Barnsley Hospice; and the Anthony Nolan blood cancer charity.
The Big Ben walk was originally planned for May 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic.
“It’s been two years in the making and we are very excited,” said Lucy.
To find out more about the challenge and how to donate go to www.bigbentoburton.co.uk
