CHRIS' STORY

The Chris Aked Foundation was the idea of our dear friend, loving husband and father, Chris Aked. Chris was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in April 2017, when his daughter was only 11 weeks old. He fought hard, and we were hopeful he would recover, but unfortunately the cancer was diagnosed too late and he died just five months later on 7th September 2017, aged only 33.

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Whilst caring for Chris, it became apparent to his wife Kirsty that there's little support for children when their parents or siblings have cancer and are undergoing treatment. Their daughter, Freya, was very young at the time and it was exceptionally difficult every time Chris went into hospital. Children are often sidelined during this time and have to adapt during a very tough and traumatic period – they don’t always receive the focus, support and care they require, at a time when they need it most.

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There are excellent bereavement charities for if or when the worst happens but sometimes the family member may be having treatment for years, not necessarily with a bad outcome, and it’s during this period that there’s a huge gap in the level of support available.

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With this in mind, we started The Chris Aked Foundation to offer children counselling and support from the moment their family member is diagnosed. We arrange sports and activities to provide respite and normality, and also offer family memory-making days, which are so important, whatever the outcome.

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This is an ever more common situation in families and we want to help make a difference. We have lots of fundraising events coming up, so check the Get involved page for more information on how you can help.