'Running marathon to music will help me remember my brother'

A man whose brother died of cancer aged 22 is running the London Marathon to raise money for the "outstanding" hospice that cared for him.

James Derrig, 38, is running 26.2 miles for Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice in Leeds, where his brother John spent the last two weeks of his life.

James, from Apperley Bridge, said the hospice had made "probably the worst weeks of our lives just a little bit more bearable".

"From the minute we got there, they just kind of scooped him and us up. Made sure we were totally comfortable and we knew everything was going to happen, and I can't thank them enough for everything they did, because they were outstanding and they still are," he said.

John was diagnosed with advanced oesophageal cancer in February 2017 after complaining of a sore throat and struggling to swallow food.

By October he was being treated on a palliative care ward and died on 5 November.

John had XYY syndrome, a condition on the autism spectrum, which meant he did not always fully understand what was happening during his illness, said James.

"It was very clear early on they wouldn't be able to save him. And all of that was completely going over his head.

"There were times I remember my mum would start to tear up. My dad was obviously clearly upset. So I'd take John out of the room while they spoke to the doctors and he would ask me what's going on.

"I remember almost lying, just to keep his spirits up. Because I don't really know what he would have done with that information," he said.

But John was able to remain positive when "the rest of us were kind of falling apart," said James.

"You would be in a ward with maybe two or three other young people and they're just all so positive. When you look around the parents and siblings were just absolute wrecks trying to deal with all of this."

In the last few weeks of his life John was moved to Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice where he was made as comfortable as possible, says James.

"He was having four or five baths a day because it soothed him, and they just made it happen. They made the best of a really awful situation."

Since John's death, James has found running has become a way to cope with grief, and a way to give back.

He finds he is able to process his grief by moving and listening to music - and his London Marathon playlist is well underway.

"You just put your headphones on and it's a really great way of switching your brain off and channelling whatever energy into something," he says.

"I always find it's just great to put on certain songs because for years I couldn't ever listen to certain bands or certain songs that reminded me of John.

"But then when I started running, it got to the point where I was like, actually, you know what? I want to remember him in a really nice way and a beautiful way. So I started listening to those songs again while running."

John and James both played in bands and after John's death James and his father set up a country band in James's memory.

Now they perform gigs to raise money for Sue Ryder and Teenage Cancer Trust, but it started when John was still suffering from cancer.

"My little sister was diagnosed with lupus a few years ago, when John was still with us, so we did a gig," he says.

"Then when John was ill, he said, 'Can we do another one to raise some money for Teenage Cancer Trust, because I think they were doing quite a lot in in the wards at St. James's.

"John, to his credit, he played guitar and drums at that set. So we had all this medical stuff backstage.

"Between sets he was coming off stage and I can't remember what they were doing just to keep him functioning. it was incredibly inspiring, just like sheer determination and kind of resilience to get on and do the show."

Their band, Tennessee Whisky – named after John's favourite country song - will also perform at Caroline Street Social Club in Saltaire on Saturday, a week before the marathon.

"It's a really beautiful thing to do and remember him every single time we're on stage," he said.

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