A husband-and-wife team has collected more than £5,300 for a hospital which treated their friend following his advanced bowel cancer diagnosis.

North Somerset Times: Devillers with his three-month-old daughter. Picture: Molly Van Den BrinkDevillers with his three-month-old daughter. Picture: Molly Van Den Brink (Image: Molly Van Den Brink)

Devillers and Molly Van Den Brink, of Portishead, are raising funds for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, which supports the specialist cancer treatment hospital where their friend, Richard, spent two months in its care. He was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer in December 2019, which progressed to stage 4 in March of this year.

North Somerset Times: Devillers has been joined by friends on his runs. Picture: Molly Van Den BrinkDevillers has been joined by friends on his runs. Picture: Molly Van Den Brink (Image: Molly Van Den Brink)

Devillers is more than halfway through his 30 half marathons in 30 days challenge, and both he and Richard are also sporting a moustache in support of Movember this month.

North Somerset Times: Richard spent two months in hospital for treatment for advanced bowel cancer. Picture: Molly Van Den BrinkRichard spent two months in hospital for treatment for advanced bowel cancer. Picture: Molly Van Den Brink (Image: Molly Van Den Brink)

Molly said: “Devillers is doing amazingly well and friends have been supporting him on parts of his run. I did 3-4k with him the other day pushing a buggy carrying our three-month-old daughter and people joining him is really keeping him going.

“Our close friend and his wife, who I’ve been best friends with since I was 10, got married in August. It was the week after I gave birth, so I couldn’t attend the wedding, and my husband and I thought the fundraiser is a way to make up for not being able to attend.

North Somerset Times: Devillers has been joined by friends on his runs. Picture: Molly Van Den BrinkDevillers has been joined by friends on his runs. Picture: Molly Van Den Brink (Image: Molly Van Den Brink)

“My best friend and I haven’t seen each other since January, and that was around the time when we found out her husband, Richard, had been diagnosed with cancer. He is the bravest person I know and he has since launched a campaign to raise awareness about bowel cancer in the under 35s.”

Richard dedicates his time to raising awareness about bowel cancer and said due to his age, it took him more than 12 months to get a diagnosis after many visits to the doctors, calls and a change in GP.

Molly added: “Thankfully, Richard came home last week following his treatment at the Royal Marsden Hospital. The last time we checked, Devillers’ run had raised around £2,200, which now sits at more than £5,300 to go towards The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, which is incredible.”

Devillers will complete the challenge, which takes him on runs through Portishead and Bristol, on November 30.

To support the couple’s cause, log-on to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tashrunner2020