Cycle team turn on the pedal power to support Sol

Employees in West Cornwall have pedal-powered their way to smash a fundraising target in support of a colleague’s baby son who has a rare form of cancer.

At just six-months-old, Sol Stephens was diagnosed with Primitive Myxoid Mesenchymal Tumour of Infancy behind one of his eyes.

Over the last eight months, Sol has been through a tough series of treatments including seven surgeries, four rounds of chemotherapy, blood infusions, and CT scans. The impact has been huge and led to Sol losing one eye.

He now faces seven weeks of proton beam therapy in London where he will be put under general anaesthetic every day for treatment.

Sol’s dad Damian works as a technician based in Pool and colleagues decided to show their support by doing a cycling challenge to raise money for the family’s chosen charity Young Lives vs Cancer.

They set themselves the task of cycling 930 miles, the equivalent distance of Land’s End to John O’Groats, using four static bikes donated by local gyms.

West Cornwall Head of Operations Dan Bowles said: “Sol is the happiest little boy, even after everything he has had to go through, and the strength of his parents Damian and Becky is unbelievable.

“It’s a close-knit team here and everyone wanted to show their support. Many staff have done 30-minute stints on the bikes to raise more than £1,000; it’s been great to see people come together to support such a valuable cause.”