"His light still shines": "Phenomenal" tribute to Portsmouth family man who died of rare cancer raises £7k
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Memories of a family man who died of a rare form of cancer were honoured at a tribute night - raising thousands for charity.
Dozens of people attended the sold-out event at the Royal Maritime Hotel in Queen Street which celebrated the life of Callum Lynch. He died at the age of 29 after four-and-a-half year battle with Insulinoma, an aggressive variant of cancer which appears in the pancreas.
His mum Sharron was delighted at the response to the quiz and raffle night, which raised just over £7,000 for Insulinoma Charity UK. “I thought it was absolutely amazing,” she told The News.
“The support we had and the kindness and generosity of people donating things was brilliant. It was phenomenal what people were willing to do to help us, for a very small charity which is not very well known.”
Callum’s loved ones were the most important thing to him, which he always prioritised despite his daily symptoms. These included hypoglycaemic reactions, with his blood sugar levels crashing to dangerously low levels.
This didn’t stop him from regularly organising family quizzes at Easter and Christmas, while lending a hand to organisations that cared for him. Him and his friends - including fiancée Becky Darby - organised a charity football match in 2022 which accumulated nearly £5,000 for Rowans Hospice.
The charity night, on October 20, included 53 stunning donated raffle prizes, such as a lazy spa day and afternoon tea for two at the House of Commons. Sharron said the event was the perfect way of celebrating her son’s life.
“I was taken aback and pleasantly surprised by the donations,” she added. “We’ve done a few charity events during Callum’s life and afterwards. Even with the cost of living crisis, people haven’t stopped being generous. It felt heart-warming that there is still goodness and kindness in the world.
“Callum absolutely loved getting everyone together. He loved being with people and doing quizzes for us. For us all to come together like that, he would have absolutely loved it. He would have been the first person to join in and support. It was a really good way to celebrate Callum’s life.”
Insulinomas are rare neuroendocrine tumours (NET) that appear in the insulin making cells of the pancreas. Only between one and three people in every million develop the condition every year. Insulinoma Charity UK founder, Enola Wright, said the event was a celebration of Callum’s life and a heartfelt reflection of the kindness and strength of his family and friends.
She added: “As a fully voluntary organisation, every pound raised goes directly towards helping those diagnosed with this rare neuroendocrine tumour, who are always at the heart of everything we do. Our compere and quiz master for the evening was Darren Darby, Becky’s father. Wendy, who was diagnosed with an insulinoma and recently underwent the Whipple procedure, won alongside her team.
“My heartfelt thanks to Sharron and Becky for creating such an extraordinary and meaningful charity night in memory of Callum. To everyone who came along, donated and shared in the love, thank you. Your kindness and generosity will help Insulinoma Charity UK continue to support others living with this rare condition.
“The love that filled the Charity Night was a true reflection of Callum, his warmth, his laughter and the joy he brought to everyone who knew him. Though he is no longer with us, his light still shines, a reminder of his beautiful soul and the love that will live on in our hearts forever.”
Further donations can be made online via the JustGiving website here.