Expedition sets sail to Greenland for Teenage Cancer Trust

17/04/09

A former cancer patient will be setting off on a ‘carbon neutral’ sixty-day expedition to Greenland this Sunday, to raise money for the charity, Teenage Cancer Trust.

Raoul Surcouf, now 40 years old, was diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease in 1986. Since his recovery, he has completed several grueling expeditions but this is set to be his toughest yet.

The result of two years planning and preparation, the expedition to the Greenland ice- cap will raise significant funds for Teenage Cancer Trust, which helps young people fight cancer.

On top of this, it will be the world’s first totally carbon neutral expedition: a 4,000 mile sailing trip followed by an arduous 580 mile double Greenland crossing, relying on sail, solar and human power alone. The expedition will relay data back to schools in Jersey and the UK, and will be broadcasting online at www.green.tv , to an audience of 250,000 per week.

The ice cap team – Richard Spink and Raoul will be skippered by Ben Stoddart as they sail across the North Atlantic from Plymouth to Nuuk. The 2,000 mile, 18 day crossing will be a harsh preparation for their arrival. From here the team will navigate the crevasse-ridden coastal areas as they climb the ice-cap, and make the traverse to the east coast, dragging 100+kg of supplies in pulks (sledges). Once they pass the highest point of over 2,500m they start the descent, again with the prospect of more crevasses as they near the coast.

Once they get to the east coast they are only half way and will have to do it all again! Return journeys are in the true spirit of expeditions, and essential if this is to be carbon neutral. It is then a race against time with limited days on the ice cap, before being reunited with the rest of the team and setting sail for Plymouth.

Surcouf says: “I wasn’t lucky enough to be treated on a Teenage Cancer Trust unit when I had cancer. Instead I spent most of my time being treated on a ward with elderly patients. Whilst the care itself was fantastic, at times I felt incredibly lonely. I met very few other young people my age who also had cancer. By organising this expedition, we hope to raise as much money as possible for Teenage Cancer Trust. Having access to a unit which has staff that understand what you need as a teenager, and the chance to meet and just hang out with other young people would have made such a difference to my experience.”

Every day in the UK, six teenagers are told they have cancer. This is a rising figure and there are already more young people than children with the disease. These young people often get a raw deal, receiving hospital treatment in inappropriate facilities catering for children or the elderly.

Teenage Cancer Trust focuses on the needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer by providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals designed to give teenagers the very best chance of a positive outcome. As well as state-of-the-art facilities to keep patients occupied during long stays in hospital, the units provide an environment where teenagers can meet others in a similar situation.

The charity estimates that, with the units they currently have around the UK, only half of all teenagers diagnosed with cancer now have access to the dedicated, specialist support they provide. But Teenage Cancer Trust’s aim is to build enough units so that, by 2012, every teenager will be treated on one.

Donations to Teenage Cancer trust can be made at: www.justgiving.com/greenland2009