On April 1, 2005, I was diagnosed with lymphoma at the age of 13. In 2025, 20 years will have passed, and I look back on that period with gratitude. Grateful for the (medical) support I received, and grateful that I can still dream and have adventures.
I don’t want to let this “birthday” pass me by. That’s why I’m participating in the Iron Man in Thun, Switzerland, on Sunday, August 24, 2025: a 3.8 kilometer swim, a 180 kilometer bike ride, and then a full marathon run.
I’m not doing this lightly. Besides the somewhat symbolic victory over my physical limitations, I’d also like to link it to a fundraising campaign for the Children’s Cancer Fund (Kinderkankerfonds in Dutch). So that there may come a time when every young cancer patient can look back 20 years after their diagnosis with a similar sense of gratitude.
Would you like to support us? Great, thank you. You have two options.
- Visit this GoFundMe fundraiser and make your contribution. You don’t have to do anything else. We’ll make sure your donation reaches the Children’s Cancer Fund!
- Support the Children’s Cancer Fund directly. Please be sure to mention “Martijn” in your message, otherwise we won’t be able to trace your contribution.
Rena & Martijn 