A GP pharmacist is running the London Marathon this weekend in memory of her uncle who passed away from a rare cancer, while the son of a pharmacist will also run the race in his honour, for the same cancer charity.

Ella Marchant, 27, has nearly raised her £7,000 target ahead of the run on April 26, with £6,695 raised so far for Sarcoma UK.

Sarcoma UK is a cancer charity that funds research, offers support and campaigns for better treatments of sarcomas, an uncommon cancer that affects any part of the body.

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There are two main types of sarcomas, soft tissue and bone, but there are around 100 different subtypes of sarcoma cancer.

Marchant is running in memory of her uncle Greville, who was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma in February 2018 which affects the largest vein in the body.

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After an operation and months in hospital, Greville eventually returned home but died from sarcoma aged 60 in June 2024.

Marchant is raising money for Sarcoma UK to “help prevent other people losing loved ones to this cruel disease”.

“It is difficult to diagnose and one of the hardest to treat,” she said. “Completing the marathon will be a huge challenge for me, and I am excited to see what I can achieve, all whilst raising money for an incredible cause.”

She said her uncle was much-loved, who ran his business restoring antiques and making cabinets. After his operation following his leiomyosarcoma diagnosis, he began making miniature dioramas.

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Marchant said his death “left a huge hole which is felt every day”.

“I was so lucky to have such a close relationship with him, and we spoke many times about me one day taking on this challenge, so it is incredibly meaningful and special to me to be able to do this. I know he will be with me the whole way.”

Sarcoma UK’s research director Dr Sorrel Bickley said Greville’s story is “exactly why the research we fund matters so deeply”.

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“Leiomyosarcoma is one of the most common subtypes of sarcoma, yet treatment options remain limited and, for many patients, standard chemotherapy simply doesn’t work well enough,” she said.

“That is why Sarcoma UK is currently investing over £750,000 across seven research projects focused on leiomyosarcoma. As Greville’s family know all too well, time matters enormously with this disease.

“The funds raised by Ella and our other marathon runners will help us to continue investing in crucial research into sarcoma, and we are incredibly grateful.”

Earlier diagnosis

The son of a hospital pharmacist who died from a rare cancer is also running the London Marathon and fundraising for Sarcoma UK.

Anna Lam passed away in March 2025 aged 63 following her diagnosis with uterine sarcoma in May 2023.

Across her treatment, Lam had a hysterectomy, minor surgeries to remove tissues from her breasts, and then underwent chemotherapy to remove the cancer from her stomach which had swelled with liquid.

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Following more bloating, Lam was admitted to University College Hospital in London where she worked as a pharmacist but was told nothing more could be done for her.

Her son, 29-year-old Hugo Chung, called for earlier diagnosis as it “would have made a big difference in terms of treatment”.

“My mother felt she hadn’t been treated fairly or properly,” he said. “There was a failure to scan her lower body.

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“Mum was a strong woman, independent, not afraid to go against the grain. She had touched a lot of lives. I’d like to do something meaningful in memory of my mother every year and to raise money for Sarcoma UK.”

Hugo has so far raised £7,039 of his £10,000 target, and Sarcoma UK public fundraising head Louisa Morgan said she’s “incredibly proud to have him running” for the charity.

“Anna’s story is one we hear too often – a rare cancer, a late diagnosis, a family left with unanswered questions,” she said.

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“Hugo running in his mother’s memory means so much to us and to everyone affected by sarcoma. He has turned his grief into something powerful.”

It comes as a hospital pharmacy worker is ticking off a “bucket list” goal as she also runs the London Marathon to raise money for a cancer charity.