Kerry Baggott, from Alum Chine, is on a mission to raise money and awareness of Multiple Myeloma which claimed the ‘love of her life,’ husband and father of two girls Jeremy (known as Jez or JB.)

From Corfe Mullen, Jeremy loved Sandbanks beach and his family said it was their special place together.

After meeting Kerry at Uni and a hugely successful career in insurance in London, Kerry and Jeremy moved to Dubai for work in 2007. Over the next decade he worked with the biggest names in the industry, and the couple welcomed their two daughters Charlotte and Emily.

But everything changed on 3 March 2018, when JB, then 48, was diagnosed with the rare blood cancer.

In hospital in Dubai fighting for his life, Jeremy made it his mission to get him and his girls ‘home’ to Bournemouth. They returned after a few frantic months to Alum Chine and ‘Jeremy’s beach’.  After stem cell treatment at University College London Hospital (UCLH) in August 2018, Jeremy and his family were taken under the wings of Bournemouth Hospital and Dr Helen McCarthy. He had 18 months of remission where the family could relax, enjoy the beach and treasure every second together.

Sadly in December 2019 the Myeloma proved aggressive again and Jeremy was put forward for another trial, but by that time Covid-19 had struck and he had to withdraw.

“I can never actually say that Covid killed my husband, but it certainly contributed to our stress,” says Kerry, “It snatched away a potential treatment that may have worked – we’ll never know now.”

The first Covid lockdown meant that Kerry and Jeremy were denied the support of friends and family when they needed it most. In June, new treatment – the final treatment option – showed signs of working and Jeremy bounced back so that he could at least enjoy blissful days back on the beach.

In September the Myeloma became aggressive again and on 27 November, Jeremy passed away at home with Kerry, Charlotte and Emily by his side.

Since Jeremy’s death, Kerry has set up a JustGiving charity page to raise money for Myeloma UK. In the first week it raised more than £10,000.

She said, “Like any cancer, multiple myeloma doesn’t choose who it attacks. Jeremy was so young and fit. I will never give up raising money to help eradicate this disease. This money will go towards supporting patients and their families inflicted by this horrific disease. And more importantly, it funds research into finding a cure.”

To make a donation visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kerry-baggott2.