Stamford plumber and former RAF Wittering weapons technician Mark Towle seeks companion dog
When plumber Mark Towle was diagnosed with incurable cancer, it was the fourth successive blow to his business and his life.
He had already suffered a serious back injury that needed surgery, a head-on road crash he was lucky to survive, and lost work as a self-employed tradesperson during the covid pandemic.
Due to the treatment he’s now having for mantle cell lymphoma Mark’s immunity levels are low and he is no longer able to work as a plumber.
He has lost his income and companionship work brings, and could be forgiven for feeling despondent.
But this is not Mark’s style.
The 54-year-old former RAF weapons technician won’t succumb to self-pity, instead choosing to do everything he can to stay healthy - and happy.
And having made huge changes to his diet, upping his exercise and using techniques to lower stress, he is ready to start a new chapter of life - with a companion dog.
Mark moved to the Stamford area after having been based at RAF Wittering and RAF Cottesmore during a 17-year military career that took him all over the world.
On leaving he retrained as a plumber and became well-known in the area, with his name on his van and a reputation for putting customers first, often stopping for a cup of tea and a chat with older clients if they were otherwise alone all day.
In fact, it was through this kindness that he met his wife, Jess.
“He was my mum’s plumber,” said Jess, a counsellor who carries out her appointments online.
“Mum called Mark ‘my lovely plumber’ and it was while he was doing some work for her that we first met, in 2010.
“Essentially we fell in love over a broken toilet,” she laughed.
Two years later Mark suffered a herniated disc while carrying a heavy bathtub and needed major spinal surgery, but within three months he returned to work.
In June 2017 he survived a head-on collision in Barnack Road, Stamford, which destroyed his van and power tools. Mark escaped with cuts and bruises and was able to help another driver involved, but later developed post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, including flashbacks and nightmares.
Having rebuilt his business, covid brought the next setback to his self-employment, and Mark lost out on a lot of work during the lockdowns.
Then, as things were getting ‘back to normal’, Mark developed the feeling of a lump in his throat that wouldn’t go away.
“I was having some difficulty swallowing, which was put down to tonsillitis,” he said.
“They decided to remove one of my tonsils and while under anaesthetic tried to put a tube down my throat, but discovered there was a mass there causing a blockage.”
A biopsy revealed the growth was due to mantle cell lymphoma, a rare form of cancer that can result in tumours forming in different parts of the body.
Mark’s initial treatment was localised radiotherapy but after a few months the disease had had progressed throughout his body.
“I then underwent a stem cell transplant at Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge. This is a gruelling procedure which involves a three-week stay in hospital," said Mark.
The idea to bring a dog into his life began when Mark was stuck in hospital and Jess sent him links to ‘Ellie Golden Life’, a YouTube channel featuring two therapy dogs and their owner, Kevin, who had served in the US Army.
Kevin calls the shared photos and videos of his golden retrievers a ‘mission to spread smiles’ and the effect it had on Mark was clear to Jess.
She said: “It was difficult to visit Mark everyday because he was immunosuppressed and he was some way away, at Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge, so we would message and video call. As part of this I would send him online links to Ellie Golden Life.
“It became a sort of habit, and when we spoke about one day owning a dog like Ellie I could see it was a really positive thing for Mark to visualise.
“He says I’m his reason for living but I want there to be more than that. A dog needs you to feed it and take it on walks and be there for company.”
Mark is setting up a new small business, ‘Homes for Wildlife’, making bird boxes, insect hotels and similar woodwork crafts in his garden shed, away from others while his cancer treatment leaves his immunity levels low.
“With the right dog by his side he won’t feel isolated,” said Jess.
“Golden retrievers are a big presence, make good companions and they can be trained.
“We have both given up a lot and live very quiet lives at home in Barnack.
“It’s not so bad in the summer when you can socialise outdoors but in winter we won’t be able to see many people.
“It sounds like a sacrifice to lose your social life but I would do anything to keep Mark safe.”
What sealed the couple’s desire for a dog came after Jess sent an email to YouTuber Kevin, thanking him for brightening their lives.
“Kevin replied straight away and mentioned that he and his wife Kate and their therapy dogs, Ellie and Emma, were coming to Europe to visit various military bases, and they suggested a surprise for Mark.
Jess said: “We arranged to meet in St James’s Park in London and Mark had no idea.”
The meeting was captured on video.
As their time together ended, Kevin encouraged one of the dogs, Ellie, to give Mark a hug and, when she did, Jess noticed Mark’s body relaxed.
He later told Jess that the fear, anxiety and tension that he’d been holding onto had melted away and he no longer felt afraid of the uncertainty that comes with an incurable cancer diagnosis.
“That was the moment I knew we had to find Mark a companion dog,” Jess said.
Mark and Jess have been reading up on owning a golden retriever and know how expensive it can be. They want to make sure they do it right, having the funds to buy a crate, a bed, toys, dog food, training and insurance.
They have had to make some tough financial decisions over recent years, and under normal circumstances would have waited and saved up before taking on the expense of a large pet.
But Jess feels they shouldn’t delay this time.
“I’ve seen Mark lose everything several times and he never grumbles,” she said.
“He chooses not to be a victim and is proving you can live really well with incurable cancer. He’s thriving.
“But life is short and I don’t want him to wait five years.”
A GoFundMe page, set up by Jess with Kevin’s persuasion, aims to raise £5,000 for a canine companion for Mark.
But as much as she and Mark are grateful for donations, they are just as keen for people to take inspiration from his life and to share his story of hope.
