A Lancashire man who is recovering from cancer has paid tribute to hospital staff who supported his fundraising efforts in the New York City Marathon.
Howard Naylor ran the famous marathon last November just two years after being diagnosed with cancer of the tonsil.
He was one of 43,500 people who took part in the world famous event and his incredible time of 4 hours 17 minutes saw him finish in the top half of the field.
His efforts so far have raised £2,655 with the proceeds to be split between the Head and Neck Cancer service at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where he underwent surgery to remove the tumour and the Rosemere Cancer Centre in Preston, where he had an intensive four-week course of radiotherapy.
The staff and fellow patients at Blackpool Victoria Hospital also supported Howard by donating £280 to his cause.
Howard, 48, said: "The treatment I received from both Blackpool and Preston was excellent and I wanted to raise money to say thank you for the care I received and also help raise awareness about cancer."
The St Annes man completed his treatment in January 2008 and although he still has to have regular check ups, is well on the road to recovery.
"It was a complete shock when I heard I had cancer but fortunately for me it was picked up early and the treatment that I have had has been successful. I would certainly urge anyone with any symptoms to get them checked out straight away.
Howard admits that the training was difficult given his circumstances but the feeling of achievement in the end was well worth the hard work.
He said: "It was an absolutely amazing occasion. They reckon more than two million people watched the race and the atmosphere was superb. It was an absolutely fantastic feeling when I crossed the line and it has certainly made me think about wanting to run another race."
Howard is keeping his fundraising campaign open until the end of January. To make a donation just visit Howard’s Just Giving website at www.justgiving.com/HOWARD-NAYLOR/
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