A DAD-OF-TWO who had his stomach removed so he could live to see his daughters grow up is to take part in the London Marathon this weekend.

Dan Taylor, 37, of Elvington, was told by doctors that because he carried a rare cancer-causing gene, he had an 80 per cent chance of developing the aggressive stomach cancer that claimed the lives of his two cousins.

After discovering he carried the mutant CDH1/HDGC gene he went ahead with the six-hour operation.

His decision was justified, when medics confirmed he did have the early stages of stomach cancer, for which he had been given the all-clear.

Nearly five years on, Dan has challenged himself to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Dan, who runs the Clifton Moor web design company See Green, said: “I had always wanted to run a marathon, but thought I had probably missed my chance, since after the operation I couldn’t imagine myself ever being in good enough shape. But a year after the surgery I started exercising, and gradually began to feel I might be able to manage longer runs.

“Stomach cancer caused by this mutation is so rare that it doesn’t attract the funding of cancers which affect thousands rather than tens or hundreds, but as the father of two little girls - Abigail is now nine, and Edith is five - who may one day find they are carriers themselves - it is important to me... I am running to show others who have had the surgery and may feel it has limited their options that it is not the end of normal life. With motivation, they can do anything they really want.” To donate, visit www.rundan.uk. You can also text DANT56 followed by your amount to 70070.