Warrior son inspires Worthing dad's charity cycle challenge
Tony wants to raise at least the £274 needed to receive a charity medal, which he plans to fix to a memorial bench recently installed in Manor Park Gardens
CYCLING TOGETHER: Brothers Tony and Richard Franklin
Submitted for publication by Brain Tumour Research
Devoted father Tony Franklin of Worthing has taken on his first ever cycling challenge, inspired by his ‘warrior’ son who died of a brain tumour nine months ago.
Tony, aged 52, is part way through the Brain Tumour Research charity’s Cycle 274 Miles in August challenge, which has taken him on rides of varying lengths ranging from eight to 16 miles. On many of his rides, Tony has been joined by his ‘supportive’ brother, Richard.
Tony said: “I live one mile from the sea front so we head down there where there are brilliant cycle lanes all the way along, from Worthing Pier to Shoreham Fort and Port and back as well as to Ferring and Goring-by-Sea and even to the South Downs, there are lots of good routes we can take, which is great.”
Tony’s son, Dan, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM) in October 2020 after suffering with balance problems and sickness. The location of Dan’s tumour on his brain stem rendered it inoperable but he did have radiotherapy. He went on to have chemotherapy but that was ended early after proving ineffective.
Dan was able to have a second round of radiotherapy, which he complemented with holistic treatments, but from August 2021 his health began to deteriorate. He died at home three months later at the age of 26.
Tony, who is head chef at Wilton Park Conference Centre in Steyning, Sussex, where Dan worked as a kitchen assistant, said: “Dan was so brave. You wouldn’t have known he had a brain tumour. He never moaned or complained about it. If it was me, I’d be angry and scared about what was going to happen to me but he never was.
“He was amazing, a real warrior and just took it all as it came, smiling and joking the whole time. I don’t understand how he did it but he did and I was proud to be his dad.
“He survived 13 months after his diagnosis. It was absolutely awful. You think ‘why him, he’s 26 and did nothing wrong?’ He was a beautiful boy, a perfect young man with great manners and a great sense of humour. His mum and I are absolutely devastated.”
“Now I concentrate on keeping his memory alive and helping to prevent others from going through what we and Dan did in the future so that hopefully one day more can be done. It just seems like it’s impossible to do anything about it currently. You can’t cure GBMs – it’s 2022 and there’s still nothing that can be done, which is hard to hear and to accept.”
Tony wants to raise at least the £274 needed to receive a charity medal, which he plans to fix to a memorial bench recently installed in Manor Park Gardens, where Dan used to play football with his many friends. But he is keen to raise the full £2,740 needed to sponsor a day of research at a Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence.
He said: “Dan’s with me all the time. He’s with me on my rides, probably laughing at me, but I’m doing this in his memory and, ultimately, for others like him – that’s what’s keeping me going.”
Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Dan’s story whilst incredibly heart-breaking is, sadly, not unique. Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, historically, just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
“We’re determined to change this but it’s only by working together that we will be able to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure. We’re extremely grateful for Tony’s support and wish him the best of luck with his fundraising and the remainder of his cycle challenge.”
Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure.
The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia and is also campaigning for greater repurposing of drugs.
To support Tony’s fundraising, visit www.facebook.com/donate/1118727815658841.
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