Workers at a Norwich engineering consultancy resorted to pedal power as they rallied round a workmate whose family has been devastated by cancer.

Workers at a Norwich engineering consultancy resorted to pedal power as they rallied round a workmate whose family has been devastated by cancer.

Young mum Natalie Cox has a rare and aggreesive cancer and doctors in this country have told her there is nothing more they can do to cure her - all they could do was provide palliative care.

Now Mrs Cox's refusal to accept that prognosis has galvanised directors and staff of Canham Consulting,

where her husband David Quantrill works, to raise money to fund her treatment abroad by taking on a cycling challenge.

Two weeks ago the 36-year-old jetted off from her home near North Walsham with her husband and two-year-old son Dillon to her native USA to face months of specialist alternative treatment in a last-ditch attempt to eradicate the tumours which have multiplied in her spleen, liver, skin and chest wall.

Work colleagues, friends and family they have left behind in Norfolk have vowed to raise as much money as they can to help fund the treatment, which is expected to cost tens of thousands of pounds.

'It is very humbling to see what people are prepared to do for us,' said Mr Quantrill.

Among those who have pledged to help are the directors and staff at Thorpe St Andrew-based Canham Consulting, where Mr Quantrill has worked as a structural engineer for the past two years.

This week 20 of his colleagues, with the help of clients and friends, will be pedalling from Land's End to John O'Groat - without ever leaving the School Lane-based office.

Fixed bikes, kindly donated by Greens gym and Dunston Hall, were set up in the company's conference room

so the cyclists could work in relay to accumulate the target of 874 miles.

Joint managing director Peter French said: 'We are all so devastated by the news, and overwhelmed by the courage that Natalie and David have shown in the face of such adversity that we know we have to do whatever we can to help.'

Craig Fleming, Mr French's personal trainer and former Norwich City footballer, is overseeing the marathon ride.

Mr French, who hopes the firm can raise �10,000 towards the cost of the treatment, said: 'David is determined to do what's best for his family regardless of the financial consequences. It is clearly a very anxious time for him and if there is a way we can help take just one of those anxieties off his shoulders we want to do it.'

As well as the static cycle ride, one of the company's directors Chris Dewick has vowed to undertake a sky dive. And Canham Consulting's joint managing director John Hutchinson is planning to work a day's holiday and donate his fees, and on that day he will be asking clients to donate their fees to the Team Natalie fund rather than the firm.

Canham Consulting plan to have a web page dedicated to the fundraising. It can be found at www.canhamconsulting.co.uk/teamnatalie. Canham Consulting have also set up Team Natalie on Facebook.

Do you have a story for the Evening News? Contact reporter Kim Briscoe on 01603 772419 or email kim.briscoe@archant.co.uk.