A HUSBAND is set to cycle a gruelling 600-miles across Europe to raise money for the hospital where his wife’s life was saved.

Oliver Beckett, who works for Stowe Family Law in Harrogate, is saying a heartfelt thank you to Christie Hospital in Manchester where a complex eight-hour operation to remove a rare cancer from his wife, Jackie, was undertaken.

The 34-year-old is planning to cycle the 600 miles in six days, starting from his North Leeds home and finishing in Copenhagen, in April.

He said: “I cannot thank Christies enough for saving Jackie’s life. In January 2021, Jackie was diagnosed with PMP (Pseudomyxoma Peritonei), a rare appendix cancer.

“PMP affects about one or two people in a million and the operation to remove it is known in the medical community as the Mother of All Surgeries.

“The operation is so specialist that it’s only able to be performed at two hospitals in the UK and hers involved removal of seven organs. With Jackie’s bravery and superhuman powers of recovery and The Christie’s care, we were so lucky to celebrate this Christmas with our family, cancer-free and 90 per cent of the way back to full health. I couldn’t be prouder of her and have no way of properly repaying the awe-inspiring team at The Christie.I took delivery of my first road bike in September 2021 as a release from stress. I’m now planning this fundraising challenge, which will take me from Leeds to Hull, Rotterdam, Hamburg to Copenhagen with a couple other stops on the way.

“I will be cycling roughly eight hours a day from April 9 to 14.”

He added: “I’m not what you’d call fit, so it’s going to be incredibly tough and a real challenge, but I didn’t think a bake sale would have the same impact.

“The Christie have set up a charity fund for me where all donations go directly towards the clinical research to treat and cure PMP.

“I’m trying to raise as much money as possible – hopefully upwards of £10,000 - and I’m appealing for sponsorship across Yorkshire and beyond. Ultimately we want to cure this nasty disease.

“I’ve set up a justgiving page here - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/oliver-beckett and am publicising my bike ride on social media.”

Companies who are already sponsoring Oliver include Stowe Family Law, Roach Brothers of Hull and Sutton Dental Practice of Hull.