Friends and family of a young sporting man who lost his life to a rare form of cancer three years ago have continued to raise tens of thousands of pounds in his memory.
Former King’s School Chester pupil Tom Arnold died in June 2012 of oesophageal cancer at the age of just 27.
Since his passing, school friends, sport team-mates, friends and family have all paid tribute to the popular cricketer, footballer and law graduate by taking part in a range of successful fundraisers.
The most recent of these have included a wine tasting and barbecue event, organised by former school classmate James Hughes, owner of Tarporley bar Piste. The event was held to coincide with the bar’s anniversary.
A family party fundraiser was also held at Broxton Hall Gallops by Ange Siddorn, mum of Nick, who was also in Tom’s school year. The event raised £1,700.
Tom’s mum, Jane Arnold, said she continued to be very appreciative of people’s fundraising efforts.
She said: “As a family we were thrilled with the money that they raised. It’s now three-and-a-half years since Tom passed away but it’s marvellous that people are still raising money in his name.
“Ange was overwhelmed by people’s generosity – Tom’s story touched them all. We were very pleased to raise money in Tom’s memory as we know the importance of raising funds for cancer research.”
About £70,000 has now been raised, with all proceeds going to the Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, which cared for Tom before he passed away.
The funds have helped facilitate the cost of a new biobank at the centre, a state-of-the-art piece of machinery which can help with the early detection of a range of cancers.
Jane added: “Having suffered from what he thought was heartburn for a couple of months, Tom was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. It normally affects older men, or those who are obese, not someone young and fit like Tom.
“After a very brave fight over 10 months, the cancer took his life.
“Early detection of these cancers is so important, so the biobank is a major step forward.
“As a family, we are constantly reminded of the impact Tom’s life had on the people and we would like to thank Ange Siddorn of Broxton Hall Gallops and Piste for their support.”
Professor Dan Palmer, chairman of Medical Oncology and consultant medical oncologist at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, said: “Through the generous donations to the TOCA memorial fund led by Jane, John, family and friends, we have been able to establish a biobank, collecting blood samples from patients of The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre as well as volunteers amongst their friends and family.
“The biobank has provided a valuable resource for a wide variety of research projects including the development of better tests for early diagnosis and more effective treatments for oesophageal cancer and other cancers.”
