Friday 15 March 2024
A charity set up by the family of Elliot Dallen has topped up their contribution to Maggie’s Cardiff, donating a sum of nearly £50,000.
Elliot’s mum, dad and sister set up the Elliot Dallen Trust in 2021 to support the causes closest to Elliot's heart. In 2022, the trust donated £33,330 to Maggie's Cardiff, the city where Elliot grew up, to help fund our expert team. This year, they have generously donated a further £16,000, bringing the total up to £49,330.
Maggie’s Cardiff supports anyone with cancer and their family, friends and carers and those who have been bereaved. Maggie’s would like to thank the Trustees of the Elliot Dallen Trust for their wonderful gift of £16,000 to fund Sarah, an experienced clinical psychologist.
Sarah supports people in coming to terms with the emotional impact of cancer and its effects on their future, relationships and bereavement. She delivers one-to-one sessions for individuals, couples and families to help unravel some of the more complex challenges they face.
She also facilitates groups to improve the emotional resilience of people caring for a loved one, a friends and family group, and a bereavement group.
Elliot Dallen was born in Cardiff and attended Llanishen High School, and later, Exeter University. After gaining a first class degree in Economics, he moved to London and trained as a chartered accountant. He had a very active life and enjoyed music, travelling, keeping fit, completing triathlons and spending time with family and friends.
In 2018, he was diagnosed with stage 4 Adrenocortical Cancer (ACC) – a very rare, aggressive cancer that affects only 1 in a million people each year. Elliot died in September 2020 at the age of 31. He was a very much loved son, brother, partner and friend and will be forever missed.
After his diagnosis, Elliot struggled to find any blogs written by people with the same type of cancer as him. So he decided to start his own – "The Cortisol Diaries." It became a place where he could help others in similar situations, whilst also keeping friends and family up to date on his treatment.
Elliot’s sister, Annabel, said, “Elliot found that visiting Maggie’s Barts in London and speaking to the experts helped him build the emotional strength and positive outlook that enabled him to enjoy those last two years”.
Elliot's mum, Jennifer, said, “Soon after receiving his devastating diagnosis, Elliot told me “I'm not dying of cancer, I'm living with cancer – and that’s the way he looked at his life. He focused on being positive, packing ten years' worth of life into his last two years. In between major surgery and gruelling chemo treatments, he travelled the world and lived life to the full.
“Elliot told me those last years were among the best he’d had. I struggled to believe how that could be true, but he explained why it was.”
Elliot’s dad, Peter, said, “We are extremely grateful to Elliot’s and Annabel’s friends, who not only provided Elliot with such amazing support, but now raise money for the Elliot Dallen Trust so we can continue doing good work in Elliot’s name and remember what a wonderful young man he was.”
We're here to support you and your family and friends through the emotional and practical challenges cancer can bring.
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