'We are so in awe of him': Tributes paid to young Raynes Park doctor Mark Sims who raised over £100,000 for Cancer Research UK after cancer diagnosis

Mark Sims, 28, was initially diagnosed with a malignant melanoma when he was just 15-years-old. Although he beat the disease as a teenager, he was told in February 2015 that it had returned and he may only have months to live.

According to his mother, Sue Sims, Dr Sims began fundraising for Cancer Research almost immediately, and after his initial goal of reaching £1,000 was passed in just half an hour he set his sights on raising £100,000.

October 2015: Young doctor given months to live wants to smash £100,000 target for cancer charity

In the two years since, Dr Sims proposed to his girlfriend Georgie Latcham, was best man at his twin brother’s wedding, received the Cancer Research UK Flame of Hope Ambassador of the Year award and a British Citizen Award, and even ran a half marathon.

Dr Sims, back centre, and his family, including twin brother David (top left)

When Dr Sims was readmitted to the Royal Marsden Hospital and told that his cancer could no longer be treated on Tuesday, January 3, the fundraising total stood at £73,000.

Mrs Sims said: “His sight and his hearing was really deteriorating, and he was struggling to walk. He knew that, and it was quite sad.

“He was so brave. He was still getting out of bed on the day he died. He wanted to do everything he could.

July 2016: British Citizen Award for fundraising Doctor Mark Sims diagnosed with terminal cancer

“When we knew it wasn’t working, we all lost hope. We knew he would have to stay in hospital until he died.”

With the help of Ms Latcham, Dr Sims sent out one final post on Facebook asking people to donate.

Mrs Sims said: “It was so brave to tell everyone he was dying, to put that out for the world to see, just to get more donations.

“We watched his JustGiving page all night, and the money and the responses were pouring in.

“Mark was sleeping in his chair, and we sat watching it. Just as it hit the £100,000 target, his friend woke him up to tell him and he smiled and said ‘I’m so proud of myself’. He had a cup of coffee to celebrate.

Dr Mark Sims

“After that, his eye sight and hearing deteriorated more, and sadly it became harder to communicate, but he died knowing he got his target.

“We read him all the messages that came through. He heard them all, until he was no longer able to hear. He wanted to hear them all, it meant so much.

“We are so thankful to all the people who made those donations. Hopefully that money will mean that more people won’t have to suffer like he did.”

Dr Sims, who was originally from Bristol before moving to Somerset Avenue, Raynes Park, had spent time working in Croydon University Hospital, St Helier Hospital and Kingston Hospital.

His health had seemed to be improving, and his mother said he had begun planning his wedding and revising for medical exams so he could go back to work.

Dr Sims passed away on Thursday, January 19, at the Royal Marsden Hospital. At the time of writing, he has raised over £114,000 for Cancer Research.

Dr Sims used some of the money to fund PhD student Magnus Dillon's work on radiotherapy

Mrs Sims also paid tribute to the care her son received at the Royal Marsden Hospital, where she said he died “in peace and with dignity.”

She said: “We are so in awe of him. We’re in awe that we could have had a son who was so brave.

 “Raising awareness was so important to him. Raising the money treat and beat this. I just always remember him as being so generous with others and thinking of other people before himself.

“I have cried, and if I think about the empty void out there I would cry again now, but I’m trying to keep going and do the things he would want, and keep his legacy alive.

“He died as he lived: surrounded by people that loved him. That’s what he wanted.”

Dr Sims had chronicled his battle with the disease in a blog called ‘Wrestling Melanoma’. His final post, on January 2, paid tribute to his fiancée who he proposed to the year before on the steps of the Royal Marsden Hospital.

He wrote: “I love you Georgie, I’ll never forget how much you’ve given me… because you’ve given me life.”

A message on the blog from Ms Latcham, posted on Sunday, January 22, said the family sang the song that had been intended to be played as their first dance to Dr Sims before he died.

She added: “I am so proud of him and feel so privileged I got to spend the time with him that I did.

“We had amazing times and he would have had a beautiful future with a great career as a doctor. Cancer stole this from him.

“I’ll never forget the memories, and he will always be my hero.”

Head of volunteer fundraising at Cancer Research UK, Simon O’Leary, said the charity were “enormously saddened” by the news.

He added: “Mark became a doctor to save lives. But despite his own heart-breaking diagnosis, he still found the strength to think about others.

“Mark’s fervent wish was to create a legacy for future generations, and he has done just that. We are hugely grateful for the money he has raised and everything he and the Sims family have done for Cancer Research UK.

“We will use his legacy wisely and as he wanted, to help save more lives.”

To donate to Dr Sims' JustGiving page, click here. 

A book based on Dr Sims' blog will be published by the end of the year. To read his blog, 'Wrestling Melanoma', click here.