Whalley woman raises £23,000 for the Christie Charity on the Dales 30 Challenge

In May 2019, Jackie Gallimore received the devastating news that her husband Howard was diagnosed with a rare and complicated form of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML).

Howard was a member of Clitheroe Bike Club and shortly after he died, his friends at the club decided to take part in a memorial bike ride for Howard and to raise money for the Christie Charity.

This kick-started Jackie’s fundraising campaign, so to honour Howard's memory and express gratitude to The Christie hospital, she decided to embark on the Dales 30 Challenge – climbing 30 hills in the Yorkshire and Cumbrian Dales – to raise funds for The Christie.

When Jackie had raised over £15,000, Howard's name was added to a leaf on the Tree of Hope in The Christie Garden.

Jackie continued with her fund-raising and, with unwavering support from friends and members of the Clitheroe Mountaineering Club, she completed her 30th climb last year, and celebrated with a second ascent of Pen y Ghent accompanied by 23 friends, daughter Emily and boyfriend Anthony commemorating Howard's spirit and resilience.

Jackie's remarkable efforts have raised over £23,000 for The Christie Charity to date.

“I will forever be indebted to the staff at The Christie haematology department,” said Jackie. “It is my wish to continue raising and donating money directly to The Christie Charity to support the work the hospital does in researching and finding new treatments.”

Given a grim prognosis with very little hope of a cure, Howard had opted out of intensive chemotherapy.

Determined to make the most of their time together, the couple embarked on trips, cherishing every moment spent with family, especially one-year-old granddaughter, Dot.

Howard's condition remained stable. Seeking a second opinion, they turned to The Christie hospital's haematology department, where specialists fought for Howard to receive a new drug still unlicensed in the UK.

This marked a turning point, injecting hope into their lives and within days of starting the treatment, Howard's symptoms disappeared, and they began to live again. His newfound lease on life saw him rekindling his passion for cycling and enjoying many other cherished moments.

Throughout the challenges of lockdown, Howard continued cycling – this time on a turbo trainer on their patio – making the most of the weather, keeping as fit as possible and embracing life to the fullest.

“When lockdown was eased, we went to our caravan near Appletreewick, which became our haven. We were able to see friends and family, enjoying the outdoors and some amazing sunsets,” Jackie recalled. “Howard's drug Gilteritinib - those three little pills each day - kept him going for 15 months until the leukaemia cells again began to multiply, which we always knew they would.

“We said goodbye to Howard in December 2020, but I have memories that I would not have it if weren’t for The Christie – they gave us so much extra time which Howard enjoyed to the full.”

Laura Hulme, philanthropy manager at The Christie Charity, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Jackie and her family for their support of The Christie Charity.”

To support the work of The Christie Charity, please go to Donate today (christie.nhs.uk) or ring 0161 446 3988.