BBC presenter Gethin Jones became visibly emotional in a video as he opened up about his close friend Craig Maxwell, who has been fighting stage four cancer for several years following his diagnosis at 40. The battle has coincided with a fundraising campaign that has raised approximately £1.7m.
Emotional words about legacy
Getting choked up, Jones said: "I don't want to say the word legacy, because... I don't like the thought of that word, it sounds final," before cutting himself off.
Speaking of his friend, Jones told Wales Online: "It's definitely changed my reflections on life. Like, I just don't feel like I have anything to complain about. You know? Sometimes I feel quite guilty. I know you live your own perspective, and the word inspiration is probably overused, but I suppose every day I think about both of them, and I try to make the most of the day, you know? Enjoy the challenges, enjoy the stresses, understand that we're trying to do a good job when you go into work, and try and do a good job, and then try and leave work behind."
He added: "Sometimes I feel quite guilty about living life because I think I should be grafting. You know, I'm a father, son, you know, should be working. Have you got your pension yet? And, you know, 'What about the future?' And all the rest of it. Whereas with them, you try and think more of the day-to-day and enjoy it for what it is. I think that's what I've learned from him as a friend, and that he's just unbelievable."
Maxwell's positivity and fundraising
Jones described Maxwell's attitude: "He just never gives in. He's always positive. Even this morning, he's obviously struggling in hospital, and he's messaging me about the night and the things that he wants on the evening."
Jones has accompanied Maxwell on a 780-mile charity walk two years ago and is now preparing to host a special gala event on 29th October to raise further funds.
Maxwell, the Welsh Rugby Union's former commercial director, has spent the past four years raising funds for Velindre Cancer Care, following his diagnosis with terminal and inoperable bone and lung cancer. He has already amassed approximately £1.7m through his efforts, with hopes the forthcoming event will push the total beyond the £2m milestone. The primary objective centres on enhancing cancer diagnostic procedures, thereby boosting patients' survival prospects.
