Ex-Marine Aaron Moon helps raise funds for mum with terminal cancer to undergo ‘alternative cancer treatment’

Aaron Moon and Tommy Fleetwood

A former Royal Marine commando who lost a leg while serving in Afghanistan is completing a sunrise to sunset challenge to raise money for a young mother with terminal cancer.

Aaron Moon who works in the shop at his home town club Bolton, where is training as a PGA assistant, will be taking on the challenge on Thursday October 27th at Bolton Golf Club.

It hasn’t been an easy journey for the 29-year-old who, while on active service in Afghanistan in 2009, lost his right leg below the knee, as well as breaking his left femur, hip, and left collar bone after his vehicle was blown up in.

Aaron has been playing golf from the age of 13 and is now hoping to use the game to help, Polly Haydock who was diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer in 2015 but a later scan showed that the cancer had tragically metastasised into her lymph nodes, liver and lungs and she was told then the cancer was terminal.

“I saw a story online last Sunday while sitting at home with my wife and when she started reading the story to me about this local mum who had been given just months to live it really hit me,” he said.

“Her only hope is raising the money and going to Germany for treatment not available in the UK and her story just really hit home for me.

“She is only 37-years-old with three children and I think the fact that I am a new dad myself and that we got family members fighting cancer as well made me decide I had to do something.

“So I hunted her down through Facebook and got in touch with her and came up with the idea of the sunrise to sunset golf challenge.
“I won’t be using a buggy on the day and will not be taking breaks, so it is going to be really tough.

“I think a full day of golf is a lot for anyone but with one leg it is going to be extra hard for me but I want to do it to help.

“Any support on the day would be great but I just really want people to donate and help Polly raise the money she needs.”

To donate to the campaign, click here.

On her gofundme page Polly said: “I am no longer ‘curable’ but classed as ‘treatable’ and they gave me 6 months to live in July this year.”

“After lots more research, I’ve found a couple of clinics in Germany that give a better chance of survival, Using more targeted treatments, some costing upwards of 250k.

“I am so grateful for all your support; you would be literally saving my life.”

Aaron Moon is supported by Nike and hopes he can inspire others with his story.

He said: “I hope my story can also be an inspiration to others to go out there and make the dreams come true and no matter what knocks you down nothing can keep you down if you work hard enough and believe.”