This festive period our colleague, Rebecca Milton, will once again be raising awareness for The Royal Marsden cancer charity, as part of their Celebrate a Life campaign. It’s a campaign and charity close to Rebecca’s heart, having tragically lost her partner in April 2019.
Rebecca’s partner, Simon, was diagnosed with Sarcoma in 2018. Initially it seemed he might not survive 24 hours, given the severity of the tumour. Heartbreakingly, the diagnosis came at the same time Rebecca discovered she was pregnant with their first child. Rebecca remembers the vital efforts of The Royal Marsden team to help prolong Simon’s life. In a blog post for the cancer charity, she said; “The teams at the hospital then did something amazing. The radiography team bought down an ultrasound machine to Simon’s room so we could have a scan and he could see our baby before Simon passed away. Miraculously after this, Simon fought through and turned a corner.”
Simon continued to fight against his illness, and thanks to excellent care was able to meet his son Dexter. Father and son spent three precious months together before Simon tragically passed. For the past three years Rebecca has paid tribute to Simon and the amazing team at The Royal Marsden by taking part in their Celebrate a Life campaign. Every year they dedicate a Christmas tree star in memory of Simon, a beloved partner and proud dad. Rebecca said; “It’s lovely to have something at Christmas time for Dexter to focus on his dad and to know we are supporting The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. He really likes being able to still talk about his Daddy – even though it’s in a different way to how his friends can talk about theirs.”
The Celebrate a Life initiative enables people to mark this time of the year with a moment to reflect and celebrate the lives of those they love. By naming a star, adding a message and making a donation, people can have a vital impact on the lives of cancer patients and their families.
To make a donation please click here.
Rebecca Milton joined NRI in 2020 as an underwriter and has been a valued member of the team ever since. To read more about her journey and her continued work with The Royal Marsden team please read here.
