Northants: man with incurable bone marrow cancer to cycle 3,000 miles

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Eddy and his wifeImage source, Eddy Clutton
Image caption,

Eddy Clutton and his wife Teresa are cycling the coast of Britain while he is in remission

A man diagnosed with incurable bone marrow cancer is embarking on a 3,000 mile bike ride with his wife.

Eddy Clutton from Barton Seagrave, Northamptonshire says his decision to cycle around the British coast has left doctors "scratching their heads".

Mr Clutton was told he had multiple myleoma five years ago and has since been treated with chemotherapy and two stem cell transplants.

He is raising funds to "give something back" to the places that helped him.

The JustGiving campaign, external aims to raise money for Kettering General Hospital, Leicester Royal Infirmary and Cancer Research UK.

Mr Clutton said that "unless they come up with a new treatment", his second stem cell transplant will be "my last".

He said: "It doesn't bother me - no one gets their head around it.

"But it's just made me focus on things I still enjoy. I've just somehow seen it as a motivator."

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His doctors estimate the remission will last for 12 to18 months.

"I'm in month six [of that remission]," he said. "Now that that clock's ticking, I thought, I'll go ride my bike."

The journey begins on Saturday in Immingham and is expected to take 74 days.

Mr Clutton said his chemotherapy doctor "just chuckles" at the idea of the ride but has been very supportive.

"He's juggled my treatments around for me, and they've done everything to get me to where I am today, so that we can start on Saturday. So they have been brilliant."

Mr Clutton admits that his wife Teresa is "a willing conscript" joining him on the trip.

"She has been obviously through everything with me as well," he said. "And so we can just disappear for two and a half months and spend some time together."

He said he was going to take it "a day at a time" adding: "It's not a race - we can take as long as it takes."

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