In 2013, Dad received the shattering news no family wants to endure: he had cancer. The name "Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma" didn't mean much to me back then. In fact, for years I believe I told people he had "Hodgkin's Disease", a very different kettle of fish (or cells in this case). From what I understood, a short few months of chemotherapy and he'd be right! It was nothing too serious, and modern medicine was so marvelous that there was absolutely nothing to worry about! Right?

Perhaps this was my parents protecting me from reality. In truth, the situation was more dire. Cancer is staged on a scale from one to four. Stage one is well localised to the tissue of origin, and is more easily treated in many cases. Stage four is cancer that has spread throughout the body; in many tumours, this is a fatal diagnosis.

Dad had stage 4 follicular lymphoma. Several years ago, his life expectancy would have been a few years from his diagnosis. That was until the development of rituximab, haematology's wonder drug. The first monoclonal antibody approved for therapeutic use, it has improved the survivability of cancers such as NHL drastically. Now, Dad has a 61.6% chance of survival at ten years from diagnosis. As far as cancer goes, these are almost unparalleled odds. 

However, a stark reality persists: follicular lymphoma is incurable. Rituximab only has the ability to suppress the cancer for so long; the mutations remain in the body. Unless more treatments are developed, NHL could be fatal for many patients like Dad. Thus, this year I have decided to run the half-marathon in the Townsville Running Festival to help find the next rituximab, and one day eliminate the burden of these awful diseases. Please support us in our cause if this mission resonates with you. 

James Coventon