Mother diagnosed with ovarian cancer sees son raise £8,000 for cancer charity

March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. 11-year-old Jack Carson set the fundraising bar high by surpassing his target in days

Jack Carson promoting his Just Giving page. Image credit: @poblet1012 on Twitter

Jack Carson, aged 11, aimed to raise £200 for Ovarian Cancer Action after seeing the impact it had on his mother Helen, who was diagnosed in September 2019. He soared past that target and has now raised more than £8,000. “Within the first day and a half we’d raised £1,700,” says Helen.

During half term this February, Jack ran 43 miles, the distance from their home to the hospital where Helen had her operation and back. Despite how hard her experience of battling cancer has been, Helen tries to maintain a positive mindset. “For a boy his age, he’s raised money for a charity that’s for women and girls. This is an experience we’ve all grown through as a family,” she says. “I wouldn’t wish to go through it again and wouldn’t wish it on anyone else, but you have to find the positives.”

Helen and Jack Carson after completing the 43 miles. Image credit: @poblet1012 on Twitter

Every day, 11 women die from ovarian cancer. More than half of women in the UK are diagnosed once the cancer has already spread, making it harder to treat. In light of Ovarian Cancer Awareness month, many are fundraising to promote and support research.

One charity, Target Ovarian Cancer, have listed multiple ways you can get involved this month on their website, such as “Bake For A Change” and the “11,000 steps a day challenge”. The money raised will help train GPs to spot ovarian cancer, spread the word about symptoms to look out for, and support more women who are impacted by the diagnosis.