In September 2022, at the age of 40 Craig was diagnosed with a rare form of genetic lung cancer, EGFR+, which had also spread to his bones.
It is an inoperable, incurable Stage 4 diagnosis. Craig’s terminal illness has given him, his children, Isla (12) and Zach (8), and wife, Tracey, limited time together.
With the four words "You have incurable cancer" their lives changed forever, and their future was taken away. Tracey and Craig agreed that they will not let this control the time they have left together as a family.
They decided to focus their energy on raising vital funds to support and help the Cancer diagnosis pathway in Wales, speeding up diagnosis and supporting quicker treatments for patients, as of December 2023 Craig, Tracey, and their friends have raised close to £1mill with the support of Velindre Cancer Centre.
Craig will miss his children’s future, but whilst he can’t be there to give them the support he had planned to with Tracey, he can show them how strong and powerful people can be when we want to make a difference together."
The Maxwell Family Fund held by Velindre, has been created in support of Craig Maxwell and his family to continue to fund new research and developments in the field of genomics and cancer.
Join us on our most ambitious journey yet as we strive to create a community united against cancer across the length and breadth of Wales. Having surpassed our initial goal of £300k, raising close to £1 million to date, we are embarking on a monumental challenge to symbolise hope, resilience, and unity, we hope you can join us.
Craig will walk & cycle over 780 miles of the Welsh coastal path, representing the 78 days it took him to receive his diagnosis. In 26 days, mirroring the QuicDNA project’s goal of reducing diagnosis time, Craig will reach the Principality Stadium on March 10th for the Wales vs. France Guinness Six Nations match accompanied by his children, Isla and Zach. Craig will carry the match ball the entire distance, symbolising our collective fight against cancer and coming together at the National Stadium of Wales. However, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of ongoing treatments, Craig will be joined by Welsh celebrities like Sam Warburton, Jamie Roberts, Gethin Jones, and Jamie Baulch to name a few on days when his participation is challenging so that regardless of Craig’s ability to walk each day we continue to collectively push back against this horrible disease. Each day offers 30 walking slots, inviting participants to take on the challenge of circa 26 miles a day through breathtaking Welsh countryside. We ask each participant to raise a minimum of £500 for the Maxwell Family Fund, part of Velindre Cancer Centre supporting the developing and innovation of Cancer treatment in Wales.
Our online fundraising is powered by JustGiving.