When mum was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer in January 2009 our world fell apart and we didn't know where to turn, apart from to the nearest gin and tonic. When she was told that the only drug that would give her any quality of life was not available to her in Shropshire (but was free just over the border in Wales) BCUK helped advise us about the appeals process and provided a huge amount of support and encouragement. My sister and I, with the help of generous friends and colleagues, raised over £12,000 to pay privately for mum's drug and it worked - instead of the 4 or 5 months that she might have had, we enjoyed 2 1/2 years with her until she lost her fight last September.

I'm trying to do something I never thought I would and that's to run more than 5km! This time to raise money for the charity that helped us. Every training run is a struggle as my heart bursts through my scalp and my legs turn to jelly but I hope that, as I see the donations on this page ramp up, I'll be inspired to try even harder and get round that course on 7th October, making mum proud and raising funds for a great charity in the meantime.

In 2009 41,000 people in the UK were diagnosed with bowel cancer. In 2010 over 16,000 people died from it. We have the lowest survival rate in Europe because we're too embarassed to talk about it or seek help for symptoms. We should make friends with our bums and their habits - if caught early enough it is easily treatable. One of the ways that your money will be spent is on raising awareness of screening. I have been screened now and am very relieved to say I'm clear. It's a scary process but how can I advocate screening if I'm not prepared to do it myself?

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now. It is SO much appreciated and I know mum will be watching and grateful.

Please help me reach my target of 1000 pounds!

Thank you so much

E