Biking Event in memory of Ian J. Podevin (1947-2009)

When I was 12 I had the awful news that my grandad had developed bowel cancer and a few months after the news I found out that it was terminal. The news shook my family and it was tough to come to terms with but we had to cheer up and make those last years with him perfect. My grandad was such a strong man, even when he was telling the family the news he remained strong and joked about it, he laughed in the face of cancer which was admirable. We had our last holiday with him in Cornwall. That holiday really was special because we done everything that my grandad wanted to do. It was a yearly thing for him to visit a beach on Cornwall during his childhood and we re-visited that beach and done everything he used to do as a child. He also got to see the same Aston Martin DB5 that was used in the James Bond film. After school on Friday 2nd January 2009 (I remember the exact date) my dad picked me up and took me to my nan's house, I thought this was weird but I was fine with it anyway. When I got there everybody was in tears, my mum had gone for a scan for cancer just a couple of weeks before and I thought maybe she had developed it too. I really didn't expect the news I was going to be told next. Everybody left and it was just me, my mum and my grandad in the room. I remember the exact thing he said to me: "Craig... This isn't easy to say..." there were long gaps between his words, I was panicking so much. "My chemotherapy has stopped working." My heart literately sunk, tears instantly filled my eyes and I just looked down at the floor. "They said I have still got a long time left to live, I will still be here for your birthday, Christmas and everything." My mum stood up and I instantly just hugged her and cried so much, I then sat with my grandad and cried some more. It was really one of the worst days of my life and I'll probably remember that day forever. He rapidly got more ill and it was starting to sink in that cancer was beginning to win, he was put on steroids and that gave him diabetes which really didn't help out with things. A couple of days later he had to go into hospital because his diabetes and cancer were getting very bad and it was hard to keep up with at home. A few nights after being admitted into hospital he made his choice that he didn't want to put up with it anymore and the following morning he refused all treatment. At the age of 14, waking up at 7am was bad enough but to hear that news it was heartbreaking. My mum woke me up and rushed to the hospital. Thankfully I don't remember what he was like while he was laying there, I remember the lively grandad Ian that used to joke and have a great sense of humour. That morning he passed away at about 9am, it was a hard day, but I am glad I was there to say my final goodbyes which is something that not many people my age manage to do, and not something many people get to do when their family member is facing a terminal cancer illness. I want to raise money for Cancer Research UK because I want to get rid of this horrible illness. I'm 17 now and I've learnt that people will eventually be taken from us, but cancer just takes them quicker and cancer doesn't care how old you are or where you're from. No family, or anybody on Earth deserves to be put through that and I want to help as much as I can. I previously held an event too, the same year that my grandad passed away and you can see my newspaper article here: http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/4518998.Teen_s_run_in_memory_of_grandad/ Thank you for reading and please be generous and donate just a small amount to stop this horrible disease. Craig Podevin xxx You can also contact me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pody31