Luke Grenfell-Shaw, a British cyclist and a “CanLiver”, visits SKMCH&RC, Lahore
LAHORE: On Monday, November 22, 2021, Luke Grenfell-Shaw reached the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC), Lahore as part of his mission to cycle 30,000 km from Bristol to Beijing on a tandem bicycle.
For Leg 5 of his journey in Pakistan, Luke has partnered with SKMCH&RC, Lahore where he arrived on Monday and was welcomed by the acting CEO of the Hospital, Dr Muhammed Aasim Yusuf, along with cancer survivors. Dr Yusuf congratulated Luke on his journey so far and briefed him about cancer care in Pakistan. He said that Luke’s mission of hope compliments Shaukat Khanum’s mission as over 75% of all cancer patients in SKMCH&RC in Lahore and in Peshawar receive free treatment each year, in line with international quality standards, irrespective of their ability to pay.
On this occasion, Luke said, “Pakistan is a very hospitable country and it is an honour to be here. Organisations like Shaukat Khanum give me hope that people across the globe, especially those with limited means, can be treated and cared for if and when a cancer diagnosis may arise. I am happy Bristol2Beijing can play a small part in supporting their incredibly important and ongoing work.” Luke will be donating funds to selected charitable organisations and in Pakistan, he is supporting SKMCH&RC. You can find out more about Luke’s journey at Bristol2Beijing.org.
In 2018, Luke was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive type of cancer. While he underwent chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy, Luke did not stop living his dreams. Half way through chemotherapy, in September 2018, he finished the Bristol Half Marathon in 1 hour, 20 minutes and 8 seconds. In Autumn of the same year, he started a Master’s degree in Water Science, Policy and Management at the University of Oxford and graduated a year later. During this time, a new dream gripped his heart and his mind; he would travel the world on a tandem bicycle, a type of bicycle that would allow him to share his journey with other “CanLivers”, to show the world that you can live, richly and fully, even with cancer. “CanLivers” is a new term that he coined, inspired by his cancer journey, which means a community of people living with the challenges and uncertainties of cancer on a daily basis, yet acknowledging that they can live with cancer – richly and fully.
According to Luke, “It’s up to us all to proactively create our own opportunities to live our best lives today, tomorrow and every day after that.”