A proud father-in-law has raised more than £5,000 for Clatterbridge Cancer Charity after cycling from his home in Huddersfield to Hoole, Chester, in support of his daughter-in-law, Ashley, following her cancer diagnosis.
Ashley and Cris Slocombe, from Chester, had spent 17 years together and were due to celebrate their marriage with a big family celebration in France this summer. But in May, everything changed when Ashley was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, forcing the couple to rethink their plans.
Ashley began treatment at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, and it was her courage, along with the care she has received from the team there, that inspired her father-in-law David to take on an epic challenge of his own. The retired car salesman cycled all the way from Huddersfield to Hoole, where the couple live, raising thousands of pounds from generous sponsors along the way.
Rather than wait, Ashley and Cris decided to go ahead and get married in a small ceremony in Cheshire, followed by an intimate celebration at Ashley’s parents’ home. Their planned French celebration has been postponed until next year.
Ashley, 40, said: “In early May, our lives changed in an instant when I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. Very quickly, I was referred to The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, and from my very first appointment, the team there has been nothing short of exceptional.
“From my oncology consultants and specialist nurses to the chemotherapy team and everyone behind the scenes, we’ve been met with kindness, reassurance and professionalism every step of the way.
“They have an incredible ability to make what is undoubtedly one of the hardest experiences of your life feel just a little less overwhelming. Their warmth, compassion and, of course, the trademark Scouse sense of humour have helped carry us through some very difficult days.
“This year was also supposed to mark another huge milestone in our lives. After 17 years together, yes, patience is apparently one of my greatest virtues, Cris and I were due to get married. We had planned a small legal ceremony in June with our parents, followed by a wedding celebration in France this August with all our family and friends.
“As my treatment plan became clear, we made the difficult decision to postpone our French celebration until 2027. While it was heartbreaking to put those plans on hold, we knew it was the right decision.
“What we didn’t want to postpone was becoming husband and wife.”
On 28 June, surrounded by their closest family and friends, Ashley and Cris, 43, who runs Ushers Bakehouse in Hoole, got married.
She added: “It wasn’t the wedding we had originally imagined, but in many ways, it was even more special. It was a day filled with love, laughter and a reminder of what truly matters.”
“As we continue our weekly visits to Clatterbridge for treatment, we are constantly reminded how fortunate we are to be cared for by such an extraordinary team. They don’t just provide world-class treatment, they provide hope, compassion and humanity when patients and families need it most. That’s why fundraising for Clatterbridge Cancer Charity means so much to us.”
“We are incredibly grateful to my new father-in-law, David, for taking on an amazing fundraising challenge. His determination reflects the gratitude our whole family feels towards everyone who has cared for us over the past few months.”
David, 72, added: “Ashley is approaching this like all her endeavours, with boundless energy and optimism, and we are all looking forward to a successful completion.”
“Typically, we can’t help her with this, but I’m not one to sit on the sidelines.”
The couple are now looking forward to Ashley completing her treatment, so they can celebrate in style.
Ashley, an operations manager in corporate events, added: “We can’t wait to celebrate our Big Fat French Wedding 2.0 in 2027, but first, we’re focused on getting through treatment, together.”
Clatterbridge Cancer Charity Community Fundraiser Tanya Simpson said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to David for taking on this challenge and raising such an impressive sum of money to help local people with cancer.
“It is thanks to people like him that the Charity is able to help the one in two people affected by cancer in our region. We would also like to say congratulations to Ashley and Cris and wish them all the very best for the future.”
If you’d like to sponsor David, you can do so at justgiving.com/page/david-slocombe-4
