Father of three is walking 60 miles around Suffolk coast to raise money for charity
Kevin Rodger from Lowestoft is raising money for AAMF - the UK's only cholangiocarcinoma charity - after being diagnosed back in March
A Lowestoft dad is walking 60 miles around the coast of Suffolk to raise money for charity.
Kevin Rodger was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, more commonly known as bile duct cancer, back in March. This cancer affects around a thousand people in the UK every year.
Kevin first went to the GP after he started feeling more tired than usual and had pain in his right shoulder.
Despite the diagnosis, Kevin has remained positive, and while he goes through treatment, will be taking on this challenge for charity.
He is raising money and awareness for AAMF, the UK's only cholangiocarcinoma charity.
"It's pretty shocking news to be told at any point in your life or about any cancers.
"It's pretty devastating news to be to be given.
"I have similar feelings like that sort of being hit by a bus and being really taken aback. And but I'm quite a solution-orientated person, so I sort of moved forward after coming to terms with it.
"It moved on from that to say, right, what am I gonna do as a result and what plan is coming next to try and to try and defeat it.
"And then very quickly, I think I've sort of become determined to do everything I can to beat it and be positive and to turn it into a positive and try and do something good as a result of it."
Kevin told us, "it's a cancer that's got a really bad diagnosis or prognosis.
"And I think the average life expectancy is 12 to 18 months from point of diagnosis. And many people don't survive for that long.
"I've never asked how long they, the medical professionals believe I have because I'm not interested in a deadline on my own life."
"I was diagnosed with the condition in late March and the charity were an extraordinary help to me in finding me specialist help and support.
"And so I'm doing the walk to raise awareness about a really rare illness. In the hope that should anyone have similar symptoms to me, they might go to the GP and have it detected earlier.
"One of the things that's been really helpful for me is they (the charity) have been able to connect me with other people across the UK that have the same condition.
"So, a very rare form of cancer, there's not that many people in the East of England that have the same as I, and are going through similar experiences.
"And being able to connect with others has been a really great help for mentally as well as.
"And just being able to know what questions to ask or what something might be like or what to expect as you go through your treatment."
He's decided to walk 60 miles of the Suffolk coast to raise money for the AAMF.
"I live in Suffolk, It's a really beautiful county, and it is something that I've always thought of doing.
"And it's a great opportunity to spend time with family and friends and doing something together that hopefully makes a difference.
"So that's why I sort of ended with the with the Suffolk coast."
Kevin is hoping to finish the 60miles at the end of October, and raise as much money as possible.
You can support his fundraiser here.