Portsmouth man is running Great South Run after beating cancer

Mark Hamson, from Portsmouth, is taking on the 10-mile run on October 22.

The 53-year-old decided to sign up following his remarkable recovery from kidney cancer. He had to have an operation to have one kidney and the tumour removed following his diagnosis.

But after the surgery, the dad-of-three began to experience chronic kidney failure and when his condition got worse, the family started looking for a donor.

His wife Jackie underwent tests to become a donor and was told by the doctors at Queen Alexandra Hospital, in Cosham, that she was a match.

After the couples 25th wedding anniversary, they both underwent the operation at the hospital’s renal unit.

Mark said: ‘The fact Jackie was willing to donate a kidney to me is such a fantastic, selfless act that I am truly moved every time I think about what she has done.

‘Ten months prior she needed a full hysterectomy and also experienced an abnormal mammogram. She still made the effort to undergo the test and volunteered to be my donor.

‘On the day of the surgery, she went down first and waved to me as she went past.’

To say thanks to the staff at the unit, Mark will be joining 20,000 others at the Great South Run in Southsea.

He has recently joined the Portsmouth Joggers who are helping him to train.

Mark added: ‘Following my transplant, I really wanted to do something to raise money to help further research at the renal unit.

‘The furthest I have ever ran was probably for a bus many years go.’

To donate to Mark visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mark-hamson.