A CANCER survivor is tackling a 130km Alpine trek amid soaring temperatures in France to raise funds for NHS.
Cotherstone resident and self-employed travel consultant Vince Bendin was diagnosed with an aggressive form of throat cancer in November 2021 after discovering a lump on his neck while shaving.
He said: “I’m a cancer survivor. Words I never expected to utter.
“I was told I had an unpleasant and aggressive form of the disease, potentially life threatening, but the oncology team said they would ‘treat to cure’.”
After undergoing a gruelling regime of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Mr Bendin was given the all clear in July last year.
To celebrate and to raise funds for the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust hospitals he set himself a challenge to complete the Mont Blanc Route, an energy-sapping 130km trek through the Alps, setting off on the first anniversary of being cancer free.
He added: “I wanted to take on a challenge and help raise funds for other cancer patients being treated in County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust hospitals.
“This is my way to say thank you to everyone who has helped and supported me on my journey and I hope the monies I raise doing the challenge will help others with their journey too.”
Mr Bendin, accompanied by his youngest son Matt, set off on the trek on Monday, July 18, just as temperatures in southern Europe were expected to surpass 40C.
Walking 20 kilometres a day the father and son team expect to take eight days to complete the trek that will take them through the French Alps into Italy and Switzerland before heading back to France.
He added: “Mountains have always been my happy place and it’s going to be a challenge but I have done a lot of training for it.
“The motivation for me is to give something back to the NHS in County Durham. The treatment I received was extraordinary.”
Mr Bendin set up a justgiving page and so far has raised £5,500 including gift aid.
He will be keeping family, friends and all who have donated updated with daily progress posts to his Facebook page.
He said: “I have been blown away by people’s generosity especially as we are going through a cost-of-living crisis, but every little helps.”
Anyone who wishes to support Mr Bendin’s fundraising trek should visit https:// shorturl.at/bmL49.
