Popular GP's son raises £2,500 in his memory after Great North Run efforts (From Stourbridge News)

Popular GP's son raises £2,500 in his memory after Great North Run efforts

1:06pm Tuesday 18th September 2012 in News By Bev Holder

THE son of a popular Stourbridge GP has raised almost £2,500 for Cancer Research UK by running the Great North Run in memory of his dad.

Ian Chaloner, an assistant producer for Radio 1, took part in the country’s most gruelling half marathon on Sunday September 16.

Ahead of the challenge, featured in last week’s News, 27-year-old Ian had raised just under £1,000 for the charity as a tribute to his dad - Dr David Chaloner who worked at Worcester Street Surgery until five days before his death from cancer.

But after completing the famous 13.1 mile route from Newcastle to South Shields despite on his own admission “being terrible at sports at school” he has raked in £2,500.

Speaking on behalf of Ian, who is busy preparing for his new role as assistant producer to new Radio 1 breakfast show host Nick Grimshaw, his sister Alison said: “So many people read the article and donated in memory of our dad.

“We received a number of cash donations which were posted through our letterbox and there were a lot of wonderful comments accompanying donations on the justgiving website, which are a real testament to what a brilliant doctor he was.”

Dr Chaloner, who was 56, initially made a good recovery following treatment after first being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2005 but the cancer returned in various guises over the following five years and he finally lost his battle for life in December 2010.

Ian described his dad as “an amazing man who was totally dedicated to his job” who even helped to save the life of a patient who collapsed and stopped breathing at the surgery on his last day at work.

Anyone wishing to boost Ian’s fundraising total further can do so online via website www.justgiving.com/ianchaloner