THE community is invited to attend a fundraiser this weekend in support of Ben Millard, a local man who has been diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer.
The fundraiser will be held on Saturday 16th February from 11.30am at Frome Football Club. The event will involve a number of fitness classes, including zumba, fitness pilates, bag-fit and clubbercise. Entry costs £10.
Money is being raised to pay for the drug Avastin, which is not available on the NHS. It is hoped that the drug will help to prolong 33-year old Ben’s life, and stop his tumour from growing further. Avastin costs £2,100 to administer every two to three weeks, and Ben has been advised that once he starts taking it, he will need to continue on the course of treatment for as long as it is controlling the cancer.
Friends and family of Ben have been fundraising since his diagnosis in August last year. Their fundraising target is £160,000, and so over £40,000 has been raised. Last year, Ben told Frome Times, “I now feel a sense of complete luck, not for the ‘health-hand’ I’ve been dealt, but for the best family and friends that instantly got on the case to find out what is going to help me and what is going to improve my quality of life.”
Tickets for the fitness fundraiser are available from Gina Fry on 07968 329411 or gina@zumbafitnessfrome.co.uk; Lyndsey Uphill on 07866 949020 or lyndseyuphillfitness@mail.com.
To donate money to support Ben, visit the website: https://uk.gofundme.com/the-bowel-movement
For more information and for fundraising updates, you can follow the Facebook page: The B0wel Movement (O in Bowel is the numerical 0); the Instagram page: @The_Bowel_Movement; and the Twitter page: @The_B_Movement