We originally set ourselves a fundraising target of £10,000 we have been overwhelmed by people's kindness, generosity and support that we have increased our goal to £15,000 to make an even bigger difference to so many lives. Thank you for your continued support and helping us achieve our goal for a very special lady and incredible cause.......

On 6th February 2011, we received the most devastating news.....my 32 year old sister's cervical cancer had returned having been in remission for almost 5 years. This time, it returned in the orbit of her left eye, her skull, liver, lungs, hips and bones. We were soon to discover that this time there sadly was no cure, with her initial prognosis being less than one year.

Nikki, a nurse herself, instantly showed her caring and selfless nature with her primary concern being that of her family. She took on the palliative treatment with such dignity and determination, even faced with the loss of sight in one eye. As always, she looked to make the best out of this terrible situation and wanted to achieve her goals surrounded by the people she loved the most, her family and friends.

Nikki fought with such courage and bravery, but sadly lost her fight on 14th August 2011. Throughout this time, both Nikki, our Mother and I were supported by Amber Turnell and the team at Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice. Without their constant care and compassion, the journey we faced would have been even more unbearable. There are simply no words to express our sheer gratitude for the difference the Phyllis Tuckwell team has made to our family in coping with this tragic loss.

Earlier this year, I made a promise to Nikki, that I would run the 2012 London Marathon for her, in aid of Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice.So...... here I am. Alongside me are two amazing people, my fantastic husband Marcus and our best friend Dan, who are ready to join me in taking on the challenge of a lifetime. Both of whom have been directly affected by cancer themselves, with each of them having lost a parent to the disease. Our thoughts will also be with Desmond Carolan and Lyn White during our training and on the Marathon Day itself.

We want to say thank you for the incredible work that PhyllisTuckwell undertake each day. If we could have one wish, out of something that has been and continues to be so incredibly painful, would be that no other family would have to lose such a vibrant, charismatic and kind hearted member of their family, at such a young age. Unfortunately, as we know, this is not the case but what we can do, is make a positive difference to other families who have found themselves in this similar life changing situation. We want to make sure that the funding is there for Phyllis Tuckwell to be able to continue to offer these families the support and guidance that they require on their own unique journeys.

I am so proud to have shared such a close bond with my sister and continue to feel blessed to have such a wonderful and supportive family. Nikki is our absolute inspiration, and whatever we will endure during our training and on the day, will be nothing compared to what she had to go through during her treatment and the final few months of her life.

Nikki and her husband Pete, were in the middle of filming for Channel 4's 'Restoration Man' programme whilst building their 'dream house'. The programme was shown on Thursday 5th January 2012 on Channel 4 at 9pm

Its not too late,you can now view this on http://www.channel4.com/programmes/restoration-man

We fully appreciate you taking the time to read our story and know that with your support we can help so many more families.

However much you can afford to give in these difficult times, is genuinely appreciated as we could not do this without your support and generosity.

You can also donate by mobile phone by texting the following -

TEXT: NFAG61 and the amount (i.e £10) to 70070 you'll be prompted to donate gift aid - this doesn't cost you anything but increases your donation by 25% so please click yes when asked. You then have the option to leave a message, that way we can thank you for you donation personally.

You can follow our training progress at www.runningfornikki.blogspot.com

Many thanks again for your support and please share our link to this page with your friends and family.

Shelly, Marcus and Dan

Nikki, this one's for you x x x