Online fundraiser set up to help 'inspiring' Northamptonshire man, 27, marry fiancée after tragic terminal cancer diagnosis

Dan Arnold, from Towcester, was first diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, in 2022. After years of treatment, including chemotherapy, a knee replacement and the amputation of his leg, he has now been told the disease has spread to his lungs.

Now, his friends Oli Makepeace and Aidan Button are preparing to take on the National Three Peaks Challenge, climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon within 24 hours on September 5, to help fund Dan's wedding and give the couple the chance to create precious memories together before they tie the knot.

Their GoFundMe appeal has already raised more than £7,600 towards its £11,000 target, with the money helping to fund Dan and his fiancée's wedding and allowing the couple to focus on spending precious time together.

Speaking to the Chronicle & Echo, Oli, 26, said: "It really knocked me for six.

"It was only earlier this year that Dan had his leg amputated and, as far as I was aware, that was meant to be the end of the line. We thought things were going okay, so hearing the cancer had spread to his lungs came completely out of the blue.

"After a couple of days it just sank in and I thought I wanted to do something that could make a difference."

Speaking about Dan’s journey, Oli said: “You can take a lot of things away from him, but the one thing you can't take away is his spirit.

"He's always thinking about the positives. Out of everyone, he almost seems to be handling it the best. He's always saying he's going to keep battling and keep fighting.

"I genuinely don't know how he does it. It's really inspiring."

The couple had originally planned to marry next year before his terminal diagnosis brought those plans forward.

Oli said the fundraiser is about giving the couple the wedding they deserve without financial worries.

He said: "I don't want them worrying about making cutbacks because of money.

"I want them to have the wedding day they always wanted. That's the most important thing.

"But we also wanted some of the money to go towards making memories together outside of the wedding as well. We wanted to ease that financial pressure so they can focus on spending time together."

He added: “I just want to give back as much as I possibly can because I know the sort of person he is."

The fundraiser has already attracted almost 150 donations, including an anonymous contribution of £2,500, leaving both Oli and Dan overwhelmed by the response.

Oli said: "He didn't really want the limelight and wasn't even sure whether he'd agree to me setting the fundraiser up.

“Waking up the next morning and seeing we'd already gone past £1,000 was unbelievable. He's absolutely blown away by the support."

On the challenge, Oli said: “It's going to be difficult, but that's exactly why I wanted to do it."

Every penny donated will go directly to Dan and his fiancée to help fund their wedding and create lasting memories together. Click here to donate.