As many of you will know, last year I was diagnosed with stage 4, non-Hodgkins aggressive lymphoma (a type of blood cancer).  The diagnosis  was sudden and shocking.  I found out when I woke up paralysed from the chest down one Saturday morning.  It turned out that the cancer had squeezed around my spine, effectively leaving me with a spinal cord injury (SCI).  I had emergency spinal surgery, but the initial prognosis was that even if I managed to beat the cancer, I was unlikely to ever walk again.

I refused to accept that prognosis and started the fight of my life, for my life.  Now, 16 months later, in remission and back on my feet (you can see a video of my recovery journey in the gallery below) I want to do something to make a difference.  Walking 5k may not seem a big deal for most people, but for me it's still a challenge - the furthest I've done so far is 3.5k, but I'm optimistic I'll nail it on the day!

One of the reasons I'm still here is that about 16 years ago a drug called Rituximab was developed.  Used alongside chemotherapy, it basically doubles the survival odds of someone with the type of cancer I had, which is pretty incredible.  I'd like to raise as much as I can to help continue that amazing work.

I also want to show people who are going through their own battles - whether that be cancer, SCI, or any other condition, that there is always hope.  If you hang in there and fight, especially with support and encouragement from family and friends, anything is possible.  To quote Winston Churchill...

“If you're going through hell, keep going.  Never, never, never give up."

Thank you. 

Aideen xxx