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July 2022 our family lost our rock, our family heart, our mum.  She lost her battle with cancer after a hard journey taking her through many challenging moments.  Typical of her generation though, even during her journey, she displayed amazing resilience and always prioritised others thoughts and feelings, over her own!

One wish mum had was to remain in her house for as long as physically possible.  As long as she was capable of functioning as a person, she wanted to remain in the house so family could  come and visit.  This meant that additional medical support would be required each day to ensure mum was comfortable, her medication was administered correctly and at the correct time.   Cue the arrival of the Marie Curie nurses, the support they provided during this period was putting it simply, heroic!  They ensured mum's dignity, comfort and physical welfare was their number one priority.  Each day two nurses would visit the house, providing the required medication and equipment.  The cost I can only imagine was high for the medication alone, but then add in the time for each nurse and the bespoke equipment.  Multiply this by a significant amount of support Marie Curie provides to other families going through the same journey and you have a significant amount of financial burden.

We as a family had the privilege to observe the amazing work the Marie Curie nurses provided throughout her journey with cancer, supporting and caring for her.  Later on during her journey, she eventually moved into a hospice.  One day lying in bed mum shared with us that she had a fear of dying.  This not only hurt to hear, but also gave me motivation to try where possible to comfort my mum, but also understand these fears.  It struck me at this point that not only was her journey with cancer physical but also psychological.  The thoughts she must have had while being alone through the night, these fears and not fully understand why, I can only imagine was horrific for her.  Shortly after sharing these very personal thoughts with us, mum lost her voice, and wasn't able verbally communicate or share any further fears she may have had.

As a family we will be forever in debt to the support Marie Curie provided during mums journey.  Marie Curie are a charitable organisation and need as much support as possible to continue their amazing work.  I was personally touched, but also inspired by their support.  I also found myself helpless when mum shared her fears of dying.  I feel that the only way I can support Marie Curie is to try and raise as much money as possible, so they can continue their amazing work.  

I would like to raise awareness not only of their work, but the support required to keep people with terminal illness as comfortable as possible during their journey and also of the psychological journey people with terminal illness must endure.

To do this on Friday 19th May I will start to cycle 2000km (1243miles) around the coast of Scotland alone and unsupported to emulate the physical and psychological challenge faced by many people with terminal illness.  I can pretty much guarantee the cycle will push me physically to my limits, but the psychological journey alone with no entertainment and only my own thoughts while cycling will be the biggest challenge!

The cycle will take me from West Lothian to Dumfries, along the Solway coast to Stranraer, then up the west coast Ayr, Inveraray, Strathcarron, Ullapool.  I will continue to head North to Durness then head East along the North coast to John O Groats.  At this point I will head south to Wick, Dornoch, along the Moray coast then to Banff, and onto Aberdeen, Montrose, Dundee, then the final stretch along the Fife coast over the forth bridge and back into West Lothian, over 10 days, so approximately 210km (130miles) each day, taking 9.5 days to complete.

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