A family from London have raised over £6,000 for Lymphoma Action, the only charity in the UK dedicated to lymphoma. Meha and Kandarp Jani took part in the Charity’s Bridges of London walk on Sunday 14 May with Meha’s mum, Dee, and sisters Pooja and Krishna. Together, they walked 7 miles across 10 of London’s most iconic bridges to raise funds and awareness about lymphoma as the UK’s fifth most common cancer. It is a cause close to their hearts as sadly Meha, Pooja and Krishna’s father passed away from this type of blood cancer in 2022.
“It was a lovely day, and a nice way of remembering our father” says Meha. “Our dad had such a big heart and was a real family man. It was so clear that he wanted anyone and everyone around him to simply be happy, so he did whatever he could to put a smile on our faces. He especially had a soft spot for our family dog Coco, his “grandson”, who he took care of and played with like a kid himself! We adopted another puppy, Nero, in his memory and the two of them joined us on the walk along with some further family and friends. We had a brilliant time taking in the sights of London and motivating each other in fun ways like singing songs across each bridge we crossed! I think our Dad would have loved the experience too!”
“We were really keen to raise awareness about lymphoma, as although my dad was unwell he didn’t show any typical symptoms of the condition” she continues. “By the time we had any idea that my dad had cancer, he had already progressed so far and he passed away five days after going into hospital. We only found out a week after that that he had a rare and aggressive type of lymphoma. It was unfortunate that his cancer was difficult to diagnose and this may well have been avoided if we and the healthcare professionals had picked up on it sooner. My dad didn’t get a chance to enjoy his retirement with family, but hopefully by raising awareness then others will be given a fighting chance against this form of cancer.”
“We are so grateful to Meha and her family for their support, and for doing so during what must still be a difficult time for them” says Amy Billington, Senior Fundraising Manager at Lymphoma Action. “Every 26 minutes one of us is diagnosed with lymphoma. Through the support from people like Meha and her family, we can continue to provide vital information and support to make sure no one has to face lymphoma alone.”
