A 37-year-old from Sutton-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire will take on the Edinburgh Marathon this Sunday inspired by his wife, who underwent a leg amputation after being diagnosed with an exceptionally rare cancer.
Matt Dye’s fundraising effort for Sarcoma UK comes after his wife Laura discovered she had synovial sarcoma – a condition affecting just 79 people annually in England – when what they initially believed was an old injury from a car accident developed into a lump requiring life-changing surgery.
Laura had a car accident 20 years ago that left her with knee and ankle problems. For a couple of years, she had a lump on her ankle, which she put down to the accident. However, the lump grew to the size of a tennis ball.
Eventually, she saw a specialist who immediately raised the alarm and Laura had an MRI scan. A biopsy found that Laura had synovial sarcoma. Synovial sarcoma makes up about 0.03% of all cancers.
Laura, 38, was given chemotherapy and, in November 2024, her leg was amputated at the knee. The life-changing surgery means she now uses a wheelchair and has a prosthetic limb.
Thankfully, it appears the cancer has not spread but Laura’s condition is regularly monitored. She is aiming to return to her job with Amazon and is determined to lead a normal life. She and Matt have three children, two girls and a boy, aged 14, nine and five.
Matt, a production manager with an engineering company, said: ‘It is hard enough to have cancer but it is even harder to adapt to a new reality like Laura has.’
Laura said: ‘A year ago we didn’t know what sarcoma was. I was extremely lucky to see an ankle specialist who saw the signs and referred me to the amazing sarcoma team at Nottingham City Hospital. Now, nine months later, after chemotherapy and an amputation, I’m adjusting to a different lifestyle.
‘There are not many people or stories to compare myself too, and times have been difficult. But now hopefully onwards and upwards for me and my family. I’m so proud and thankful to my family far being there for me and supporting Sarcoma UK.’
This will be Matt’s first marathon and he is running with his brother-in-law Jack Reynolds, 35, from Nottingham, for charity Sarcoma UK.
Matt said: ‘Laura is such an inspiration to our three children. If she can go through this, I’m sure I can run 26.2 miles and try to raise as much awareness as possible.’
‘Synovial sarcoma presents unique challenges in cancer treatment due to its extreme rarity – affecting just 79 people annually in England, representing only 0.03% of all cancer cases,’ said Emily Williams from Sarcoma UK’s Research, Policy and Support Team. ‘This rarity means the condition receives disproportionately less research funding and attention despite its devastating impact. We’ve recently awarded over £300,000 to fund two promising research projects aimed at developing more effective treatments, but we urgently need greater investment in this area. Standard therapies often prove ineffective against synovial sarcoma, which is why dedicated research is crucial.
‘Fundraisers like Matt are vital in helping us advance scientific work that could transform outcomes for patients like Laura who face life-changing surgeries and difficult recovery journeys. Every marathon completed and every pound raised brings us one step closer to better treatments and support for those affected by this challenging diagnosis.’
To donate to Matt, go to https://www.justgiving.com/page/matt-dye-1726161846551?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%252Fmatt-dye-1726161846551&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share
