11 hours ago
Terminally ill husband and his wife make emotional road trip to honeymoon destination for 'final time'
Steven and Lorraine Cross are making the "once in a lifetime" trip to support the charity which has been there for them during Steven's cancer journey.
A terminally ill dad and his wife are set to embark on a road trip of over 4,000 miles from Lanarkshire to Portugal to raise funds for a charity close to their hearts.
Steven Cross, 57, and his wife Lorraine, 51, have visited the town of Alvor, which they call their "happy place", every year since celebrating their honeymoon there in 2007. However, this year's trip carries extra meaning, after Steven was diagnosed with cancer last October, and initially given just three to four months to live.
However, he says he is "still standing" due to his treatment, and now wants to give something back to the people who have been there for him throughout the journey.
The couple, from Wishaw, received support from the Maggie's Lanarkshire centre at Monklands Hospital, and decided to turn a trip they were already planning into a fundraiser for the charity, which helps people across the UK live well with cancer.
They left from the centre in Airdrie on Friday, June 20, following a heartfelt send-off from Maggie's staff, representatives from NHS Lanarkshire and Neil Gray MSP's office, and their two daughters, Amiee, 21, and Kayleigh, 19.
Speaking to the Record, Steven said: "I'm actually very blessed and very lucky to get the chance to go back, even if it is just this one last time. Every day I wake up and try to live and enjoy my life with my wife and daughters."
Despite his initial prognosis, Steven has undergone treatment including six courses of chemotherapy, chemo tablets and radiotherapy for a tumour on his arm. He says he is "delighted" with the treatment he has received so far, and is determined he is "not in any rush to go anywhere".
He hopes to be put forward for clinical trials once he returns from his trip. He added: "There's a lot of things to be grateful for, but more than anything it's the medical staff and NHS as a whole. I can't speak highly enough of them."
He is also looking forward to the prospect of returning to work as a facilities technician, and prove he has the stamina to "keep ploughing away".
The couple's campaign, Steven's Miles for Maggie's, aims to raise £1 for each mile travelled - covering both the journey there and back - totalling 4,086 miles. They raised over £2,000 via their JustGiving page before even leaving the centre, with the full goal set at £4,100.
Steven said the fundraiser has "grown arms and legs" since being set up, and admitted he has found people's compassion and generosity quite emotional.
He explained how the charity's support quickly had an impact during his treatment: "I've found Maggie's a great source of comfort. I was stuck in the house with the dog, with nowhere to go, and a nurse suggested I visit the centre.
"I said 'no, that's not really my thing', but one day I drove over and it was like I had known these people forever. They were so welcoming, and it was a pleasant experience. I was expecting it to be clinical but it was a home from home.
"I came away after my second or third visit and thought, if I can do something for them to give back, let's go for it, and decided to do this trip for them."
Steven and Lorraine are expected to arrive in Portugal on Friday, June 27, after making a few stops along the way, including staying in a chateau in France, followed by a "mystery tour" seeing where the rest of the journey takes them, including places in Portugal they have never visited.
Lorraine said: "When we go back to Portugal, it's like going home, it's our happy place. We know a lot of people over there, the kids grew up going there."
Steven joked: "It will just be a bit of a challenge driving a right hand drive car on the opposite side of the road."
He added that their friends in Portugal have also been supportive, with some travelling to Scotland to visit him following his diagnosis.
Lorrie Cameron, Centre Head at Maggie's Lanarkshire, said: "We are so proud of Steven and Lorraine – their bravery and love are truly inspiring.
"This campaign reflects what Maggie's is all about: community, compassion, and walking beside people through the most difficult times."
