The Thanks a Million Challenge is the brainchild of Team Captain Gihan Ganesh (pictured with his family). Read Gihan’s story and his motivation for this fundraising challenge below.

Our world was completely shattered when our 1-year-old daughter was
diagnosed with a very rare, advanced and complex pelvic tumour. There will always
be a time before that day in 2022 and a time after. The time after will remain the
darkest of times where fear and uncertainty ruled our lives. It asked so much of her
as she faced a lifetime’s worth of challenges and we dedicated our lives to support
her. She was cared for by the team on Piam Brown Ward, Southampton Children’s
Hospital which was led by Dr. Ren Manias (an incredible doctor and human being).
They became our surrogate family and provided our daughter with the expert care
she desperately needed. Despite the huge obstacles to clear and the odds against
us, we now have our daughter back. She is now unrecognisable as a cancer survivor
and a truly astonishing little girl who makes the world a better place.

Words will never be sufficient to express the gratitude we feel towards the Piam
Brown team. Giving something back that positively contributes to their work in the
future is the only way I can see to satisfy this need. I did eventually return to work as
paediatric anaesthetist at the same hospital where our daughter was diagnosed. I
anaesthetised other children to facilitate their cancer treatment. I am grateful that I had this opportunity but I also know that it is essential work that will always continue. My colleagues in
the operating theatre played a big part in saving our daughter’s life but their
dedication to their trade is unfaltering and future families can expect nothing less.

Dr. Ren came to me with a different proposal. She has been looking at how
to improve the physical and mental well-being of the children going through cancer
care. So, she has started a collaboration with Momentum in Fitness Charity to do just
that. They are delivering targeted exercise therapy for all paediatric oncology
patients; a standard of care at leading international centres. There are very few
interventions in medicine (if any) that can only have a positive effect – this I feel is
one of them. For that reason, I feel very motivated to support this venture. I,
unfortunately, know that the cancer journey is utterly brutal for the children and their
families. This therapy will be able to deliver a moment of positivity whilst at the same
time helping the children counteract the damaging physical effects of cancer and
treatment. Any positive moments like this will be clung on to as they will give that
little bit of breathing space during an all-encompassing and difficult time. If it helps
make the lives of any of the children and their families just that little bit better, I will
have succeeded in my mission.

The motivation for the mission has always been there and so the only question
remained was how. An indoor rowing challenge was the answer. Why? Firstly, it was
the only minuscule bit of exercise I could manage during her treatment – the very
occasional moment of focus outside of her care. Secondly, because it requires both
physical and mental toughness as well as being unforgiving and precise, it is a fitting micro representation of what my daughter had to go through. By aiming for a
Guinness World Record TM we are setting the bar high for a team of largely middle-
aged parents but why not? It is as crazy as it seems.

We aim to raise £1000 for every day that our daughter was on active treatment –
£169,000 in total. This figure will provide the funds to establish and run the service
for the next 3 years. Please give what you can to help us do something amazing