Epic challenge set for mechanic after incurable cancer diagnosis

A retired mechanic discovered he had incurable cancer after a blood test. Ian Bryan is now determined to look for a cure and is going to extreme lengths, by taking on an epic car challenge.

Ian was 50 when he began to suffer with high blood pressure and went in for a blood test to monitor the situation. However, the Ashby man was hit with the shock news he was suffering from myeloma – an incurable blood cancer that kills thousands every year. Seven years on, Ian is still shocked at the diagnosis, but is not letting it get him down. He said: “When you’re diagnosed life can feel too short, but I just carry on with life and I do the things I want to do.”

Myeloma occurs in the bone marrow and is the third most common type of blood cancer. However, it is difficult to detect, with symptoms such as back pain and fatigue put down to other minor conditions or simple ageing. The disease currently affects over 24,000 people in the UK, with 3,000 people dying of myeloma a year. At present, it is treatable but not curable, with work ongoing into easing symptoms and complications any sufferers face.

READ MORE: Jonnie Irwin missing family on hospice visit to relieve pain of terminal cancer battle

Diagnosing myeloma can take months due to its hard to spot symptoms, with Myeloma UK – the leading charity – revealing that more than half of patients wait more than five months to receive the news. A third are also diagnosed through A&E.

The charity is doing all it can to raise awareness of myeloma and raise vital funds for treatment. Ian is keen to do his part too and has set himself an epic task by taking part in the Baltic Sea Circle challenge with his friend Paul Hulston. The challenge will see the pair use a 30-year-old Ford Mondeo to drive 7,500km across nine countries in just 16 days. The task is made all the more difficult as the pair will be driving without a GPS to guide them along the way and motorways are not allowed.

The car, which cost the friends just £300, sets off this Saturday (June 17) from Hamburg in Germany. They will then have to travel to Denmark and Norway to reach Nord Capp – the northernmost point in Europe – before coming back through Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to be back in Hamburg. If all goes to plan, they will reach their final destination on Sunday, July 2.

Ian believed it was a great way to raise funds for the cause. He said: “The way I look at it, I’m fortunate that I have a cancer that can be managed. Will there ever be a cure? I don’t know. But you’re not going to get a cure unless there’s research. There’s always hope. Myeloma UK does a lot of work to get new drugs approved and it feels right to give something back.”

So far, Ian and Paul’s GoFundMe has raised more than £3,000 for Myeloma UK and they’re looking for more support. As for the trip, Ian revealed some nerves – but mainly for the car. He said: “I’m excited about the trip, then I’m nervous. It’s going to be an epic trip. I’ve never been to Scandinavia, and I think it will be harder to navigate in Norway. And I hear the roads in Lithuania are not in a very good state. We’re taking two spare wheels with us. I hope the car gets back in one piece!”

For more real life stories from across Leicestershire and Rutland, sign up to our newsletters here.

READ NEXT: