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Man raises funds

By Steve Ferris 3 min read

Phil Goddard of London, England, said Jayne, his wife of 17 years, would not have wanted him to grieve her death forever, so he decided to come to America to do something to help him through his mourning and benefit cancer sufferers like Jayne was. The 47-year-old Goddard gave up his work as a freelance translator and, on June 25, began a 4,000-mile cross-country “Journey for Jayne” walk from New York to the state of California in hope of raising $18,000 for the Association of International Cancer Research (AICR).

“Jayne was a larger-than-life person, very outgoing and popular,” Goddard said. “She wouldn’t have wanted me sitting at home moping, so I thought I’d try and extract something positive from her death. I hope this will help me get over it and make lots of money for a good cause.”

On Friday, Goddard was leaving Ohiopyle toting his 40-pound backpack on his way to Uniontown. He said his goal is to reach the West Coast in six to eight months.

His shirt and backpack bear the Association of International Cancer Research logo and the British flag.

“It breaks the ice. It lets people know what I’m doing,” Goddard said, speaking on a cell phone that Sprint Nextel donated to his cause. “It makes me recognizable and is great for fund-raising.”

Many motorists have stopped him during his trek and told him how cancer impacted their families, and donated to the cause.

“It makes you realize when you’re affected by cancer, you join a big fraternity,” Goddard said.

Donations also can be made through a Web site, www.justgiving.com/uswalk.

The site also contains a link to a blog in which Goddard keeps notes from his journey, a list of donors and information about Jayne and the AICR.

Relying on the endurance gained from running in 16 marathons and the travel savvy he learned from visiting 89 countries, Goddard is braving the long walk without a support team or vehicle.

“I know there’ll be blisters, blazing sun, pouring rain and nights sleeping in rough ditches, but if Jayne could be strong in the face of adversity, then I can too,” Goddard said.

He said when she was diagnosed with colon cancer, the disease already was in an advanced stage. She underwent chemotherapy but died this past January. He said her death was inevitable.

He said Jayne was one of Britain’s leading speech therapists. Her work ranged from teaching patients with throat cancer to speak again to helping children overcome speech impediments. Jayne used her maiden name Jayne Comins.

“Jayne was well known for her can-do attitude and was always ready to accept a challenge. Her motto, ‘Say yes and worry later,’ inspired me to take on this adventure,” Goddard said.

The journey has been challenging and Goddard said he appreciates offers he receives from residents to put him up for a night before he moves on the next day.

“I appreciate any accommodations,” he said. Otherwise, he finds places to camp or stays in a motel.

“It’s nice to meet people and sit down and enjoy their company. It’s a pleasure to meet real Americans,” Goddard said.

He said he may be contacted through the Web site or on his cell phone at 1-202-321-5295.

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