“It’s so frustrating not being able to help my dad get better, but what I can do is raise money to help find new cancer treatments.” - Lewis’s experience

Standing at the top of Ben Nevis was more than just a personal achievement for Lewis Whitaker - it was an act of support for his dad.

The 25-year-old from Skipton decided to take on the UK’s tallest mountain after his dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer in November 2024. Wanting to raise funds to help make a difference to people with cancer in Yorkshire, he turned to his two best friends, Daniel and Troy, for support.

Having been close since childhood, Lewis’s friends immediately wanted to help him and his family.

“My whole family was devastated when they said they couldn’t operate on the tumour in my dad’s stomach, and that it had already spread to other parts of his body,” Lewis said. “When I told my best friends, they were just as shocked as us and straight away, wanted to help in any way they could.”

Sharing a love of hiking and the outdoors, the trio had previously completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks, but this time wanted to take on something even bigger. They set their sights on Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the UK, and decided to raise money to support the vital work of Yorkshire Cancer Research.

“It’s so frustrating not being able to help my dad get better,” Lewis said. “But what I can do is raise money to help find new cancer treatments. That’s why I chose to fundraise for Yorkshire Cancer Research.”

Yorkshire Cancer Research is funding £64m of cancer research and services to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer in the region. For 100 years, the charity has united with researchers, cancer experts and people in Yorkshire to bring pioneering discoveries and progress in cancer research to the region.

Lewis’s challenge was a huge success. The group reached their £1,000 fundraising target within 24 hours and went on to raise over £3,500 to support life-saving cancer research in Yorkshire.

“The support from our friends and family has been overwhelming,” Lewis said. “That’s a great amount of money to be going towards helping people with cancer in our region.”

Lewis’s dad has now stopped his cancer treatment and is no longer working in order to prioritise his health. He is now focused on spending meaningful time with his loved ones, including Lewis.  

Lewis said: “Time with my dad is precious and I’m doing what I can to out with jobs like DIY and supporting my grandparents. This has not only been hard for my dad, but for the rest of the family as well.”

Lewis’s partner Amy has also been a huge support. She has sadly lost both of her grandads to cancer since Christmas.

Lewis concluded: “I’m very thankful for Amy’s understanding during these difficult times. Cancer has become such a big part of all our lives. That’s why cancer research is so important - it’s the only way to improve cancer treatment. I hope one day there will be cures for cancer, so people won’t have to go through what my dad and Amy’s grandad are going through."