Suffolk man to walk 46 miles to raise money for 12 year old with cancer
Phil Skipper's decided to walk from Diss to Norwich after finding out his daughter's best friend had been diagnosed with cancer.
Last updated 11th Nov 2022
Suffolk man is walking 46 miles to raise money for 12 year old with cancer.
Phil Skipper, from Palgrave, decided to walk from Diss to Norwich after finding out his daughter's best friend had been diagnosed with cancer.
Cadi has cancer in her cheek and will be receiving treatment at Addenbrookes Hospital.
Phil and his family are family friends with Cadi and her family. Cadi even shares a birthday with Phil's oldest daughter.
When he heard the news, he felt he couldn't sit back and do nothing and so is taking on the huge challenge of walking 46 miles in 10 hours to raise money for the family.
The challenge will start at 5am on the 25th of November.
"I just sat there because... my daughter is very good friends with Cadi. My wife and I just sat there. And I just thought 'I just can't do nothing.' I need to do something for her family, for her. What can I do? How can I help?" Phil said.
"So it was a case of, I've done one or two walks before, for raising some money, and I thought 'okay, I'll do a walk' and so that's where it came from."
Spealking on the impact of the diagnosis, Phil said: "That's where it really hits home. And it just makes you think how lucky you are, that you're not going through that."
"You always see it on the news, in the papers and that, but it's just something you never expect to happen to someone you know so close.
"It really hits home and makes you think about your life. Think about your children. How short time (with them) could be.
"It was horrible. Especially, (as) it hit my two girls, really, really hard.
"We sat them down and said, 'I got something important to tell you' and they thought it was something exciting, like a holiday.., and we had to tell him, Cadi's been diagnosed with cancer, and just seeing their faces was horrible.
"I just sit here now thinking about it and just... she's young girl and you just reflect.
"I know there is younger people with it, and older people with it, and you know, it does get them.
"But she's so young, she's got a whole life ahead of her and that just makes you think.
"I'm doing just a little walk really compared to what she's going to have to go through.
"That's why I thought I just need to do something to help them. Any way to make her life easier or better, or to put a smile on her face. It's (the walk's) nothing really to what she's going to be going through."
Cadie and Phil's daughter smiling
Cadie and Phil's daughter smiling
"I don't think it's really hit home"
"Her (Cadi's) mum came round the other day seeing my wife and I haven't seen her for a little while and just, it was an embrace and she said, 'Just thank you.'
"She's very overwhelmed. Really, with what's going on. And I don't think it's really hit home. But she very, very grateful. Very, very grateful for everything that's been raised so far."
Phil initially set a target of raising £500 to give to Cadi and her family - which has since been surpassed. Phil is now aiming to raise £5000 to help the family.
"Obviously Addenbrookes is where she's going to be having her treatment and (potentially) chemotherapy at Addenbrookes.
"And from where we are, it's a long journey and (with) the cost of everything nowadays, I just wanted to help the family out. Make sure that they can be there with her and get her there.
"That money's for anything, anything to keep her happy, make her comfortable.
"It's up to them (the family) how they use it.
"For me, it's just to make her comfortable. She's going to be missing school, if that helps with anything, home school? And just whatever they (the family) need it for really. At the end of the day anything to help. Anything to help at all."
Phil has set up a go fund me page which can be found here