A GRANDFATHER who has cancer held a charity event to say thank you to the hospital team who he “loves to bits”.

Steve Coulridge, of Welbeck Close, Borehamwood, raised £13,000 to help pay for immunotherapy treatments at the Royal Free Hospital, in Hampstead.

The 67-year-old spent hours tirelessly planning the dinner and dance, which was held at The Haven, in Whetstone, last Wednesday.

He was diagnosed with skin cancer (melanoma) and cancer of the lymph nodes in 2013 but says he cannot fault the treatment he received at the Royal Free.

Mr Coulridge, who owns balloon shop It’s All Blow, in Mill Hill, said: “I decided earlier this year to get my fingers out and do something for this amazing team.

“I’m not making myself out to be a hero here but I was so obsessed with the event that I rescheduled an operation to remove some melanomas removed from my chest.

“The atmosphere there was electric. One woman told me there was love in the air.

“Without the geneoristy of Julius Oberger, who owns Haven, this event wouldn’t have been possible so I want to say thank you to him.”

The event began when guests released 500 balloons into the sky in memory of their loved ones who have died of cancer.

Dr David Chow, oncologist at the Royal Free, gave a talk and there was a raffle, an auction, a secret opera and a live band.

Although Mr Coulridge’s original target was £10,000, he was overwhelmed when he smashed that by around £3,000.

He added: “I love them to bits at the Royal Free. They are the best people you could wish for – oncologists, plastic surgeons, nursing staff that have a passion for your recovery and wellbeing.

“It’s the absolute epitome of team work.  I’m so passionate about helping them.”

Immunotherapy is a relatively new treatment which is still in the research stages, but has been proven to shrink tumours.

In the last two and a half years, he has had six operations but always remains positive.

He added: “When you’re diagnosed, you go into a bit of a moment of disbelief. You think they’ve made a mistake. But they said medical science is not wrong.

“I had radical surgery but I am remaining upbeat – you’ve got to.”

To donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/Stephen-Couldridge/