Dad raises millions for charity after being diagnosed with terminal cancer

  • 'I've got limited time with my family and I'm going to make the best of what we can'

Craig Maxwell who has raised more than a million pounds to help improve and develop cancer care in Wales is one of four nominees for the Wales Pride of Britain fundraiser of the Year Award.

The 42-year-old father-of-two from Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, was given months to live after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

He decided he would do everything he could in his limited time to improve cancer diagnosis in Wales.

For Craig, doctors first identified a tumour in June 2022 but it took 72 days for the official cancer diagnosis to come back. Craig decided to do everything he could in his limited time to change that.

Craig has undertaken a variety of challenges to fundraise for the QuicDNA Project. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales / Craig Maxwell

So far he has raised over £1.4 million through a series of fundraising challenges which have included walking 780 miles from Anglesey to Cardiff, following the coastline of Wales.

Through the Maxwell Family Fund the money raised is for the Velindre Cancer Centre to enhance, improve and develop the cancer pathway in Wales.

The walk along the Welsh coastline was achieved in 26 days to mirror the QuicDNA Project, a genomics research project to reduce diagnosis time for lung cancer patients to a maximum of 26 days.

The 42 year old father of two from Penarth was given months to live after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales / Craig Maxwell

Craig, formerly chief commercial officer for the Six Nations rugby tournament said: "No father should have to tell their children what I had to tell my children.

"And that was the hardest moment me and my wife ever had, telling them that I've got limited time with them and that I'm going to make the best of what we can.

"After about two or three weeks of starting my treatments, I managed to get myself together and I thought, you know, I want to make a difference here. I thought 78 days to diagnose cancer can't be right. We must do more to help improve that process, do more to give better technology to the doctors and nurses as well."

Speaking of the walk he said, "The support I had was just unbelievable. And then to have the support of the rugby world through the six nations Welsh Rugby Union, you know, it's just been incredible."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…