Firefighters to tackle 50 mile challenge in aid of brave Bassetlaw woman Karen Land

Karen Land, from Retford, had just finished training for her dream job of becoming a firefighter with Nottinghamshire Fire when she was told she had breast cancer in October- and given three months to live.

Karen turned towards immunotherapy treatment hoping it would give her more time with her five children.

The treatment is only available privately, or at a clinic in Germany where each treatment is £5,000 .

Gary Mulligan and Chris Binch are hoping to raise £2,000 towards Karen’s target by walking from East Leake Fire Station in the south of the county to Misterton on 3 March - a distance of just over 50 miles.

Worksop Fire Station Watch Manager, Gary Mulligan said: “I know people from within my family and friends who have suffered with cancer so it seems like the right thing to do.

“I’m looking forward to it, but I know that it will hurt.

“ It’s not the mileage that will be the difficulty but the weight.

“They’ll be a few blisters after we have finished but it’ll be worth it if we can reach that £2000 target.”

Karen is hoping to raise £100,000, and has so far raised over £64,000 on her JustGiving page.

She said she had been “blown away” by the amount of donations the page had received.

Karen said: “I was really fit and healthy, or so I thought. I went to get the lump in my breast checked out, genuinely believing it was nothing, that I would be fine.

“Within the hour, I was told I had cancer, and I walked out in a daze.

“ And just after completing my training, I was told it was terminal. I was absolutely gutted.

“I did some research and decided immunotherapy is my only hope.

“It won’t cure me but it will hopefully give me some more time.”

To donate to Chris and Gary’s JustGiving page visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/chris-binch.

The page has smashed its £2,000 target but is still accepting donations.