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On 29th October 2008 I was taken dangerously ill. An ordinary autumn day, turned into a series of life threatening events that should only be seen on TV!

My story is about my good fortune, and about how our lives are so fragile, that we can switch from feeling on top form (I was at a client's office in Reigate), to suddenly being overwhelmed with a sense of being unwell. Initially I had no pain, no obvious ailment - just a huge sense of not being right.  Not knowing that I was hemorrhaging at the time, I got myself home and without warning I collapsed in my bedroom, alone in the house. My reflex grabbed the phone as I collapsed and I called 999. I spoke to Shelley Buckle, the call handler at the London Ambulance Service in Waterloo.

The next thing I knew was seeing the Paramedics, Mark Welch and Lawrence Jenkins, who had arrived quickly to rescue me. Their speed and professionalism was undoubtedly a life saver. The team in the ER, Accident and Emergency were life savers too. The general public who had donated blood 'did something amazing' and added to my list of life savers. The teams in the Acute Care Unit led by Dr Meron Jacyna did fantastic work to stabilise me and undertake the initial investigations during the early days in Hospital. Then Dr Chris Fraser and Mr Robin Kennedy took over my care at St Mark's Hospital and it was their amazing skill and expertise that diagnosed and removed the cancer that had disclosed itself by hemorrhaging so acutely almost one year ago.

My huge debt of gratitude must go to St Mark's Hospital for their world class and truly ground breaking approaches and techniques in the diagnosis and cure for bowel disease.

No one should have to suffer a serious illness if it can be avoided or prevented. Bowel cancer is one of the easiest cancers to treat if it is detected early and one of the most difficult if it is detected late. Sadly, it was the late detection of bowel cancer that led to the death of my father-in-law Victor Cooper back in 2003. Early screening and detection of bowel cancer and the diagnosis and treatment of other bowel disorders are therefore vital tools in avoiding preventable deaths and suffering.

In early October 2009 I set myself the challenge of raising funds for St. Mark's Hospital Foundation with the goal of reaching £10k by the 29^th October as this marked the anniversary of when I had become dangerously ill and when my life was saved by some outstanding professionals.  In fact I raised £10, 256 through generous donations from friends, family and work colleagues and presented the cheque to the Foundation on Thursday, October 29, 2009, thus reaching my goal.