Thanks a bunch for taking the time to have a nosy at my fundraising page. 

So here's the story behind me being crazy enough to enter a 10k.

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Flashback to 1st October 2013. What were you doing? (Though, if your memory is anything like mine, you won't remember!) Was it just another random day that passed you by? A quiet evening in, or a few drinks with friends?

Well, this day marks the start of this story.

I was sitting in a Manchester meeting room at Party Conference, listening to an interesting debate on consumer freedoms that my boss was taking part in. At the end, before the reception, I briefly went outside to check my phone.

Faced with a pretty terrifying series of missed calls and "call me ASAP" text messages from various members of the family, needless to say I was a little worried. I called Nannan immediately.

Now, for those of you who don't know me too well, my Nannan is my rock. She is the person I am closest to in the whoooooole world. We love to spend time together, and share everything and anything. I love her with my entire heart and soul. The thought of anything happening to her was, and is, devastating.

After I put the phone down, I was pretty frozen in time for a second. I find bad news does that to you.

Following a chest X-ray, a shadow had been found on her lung.

Cue panic.

Without hesitation, I was on a train home to Sheffield, and made it to the Northern General by 9pm. Over the course of the next three days, I stayed with Nannan in the hospital. She was visited by various doctors and nurses, taken for test after test. By the third day, we had found out it was lung cancer.

Now, you hear the 'C' word, and instantly panic. Despite the fact that treatments have progressed so much in recent years and survival rates are at an all time high, it is still a scary idea to be faced with.

Nannan was diagnosed with Small Cell Lung Cancer. To save all the medical jargon and long-winded explanations, it is much preferable to Non-Small Cell, and was caught really early, so, in a perverse sort of way, Nannan was quite lucky.

She was told she would need between four and six sessions of chemotherapy, followed by a month of daily radiotherapy appointments. [Aside from the health-related side effects, one of the more devastating factors for Nannan was the fact she would lose her hair. Now, for those of you that don't know her, look up "Rebekah Brooks". No, that's not Nannan, but that was essentially her hair. She was gutted, but I still think she looks beautiful. Also, we're sharing hats now, so that's a bonus!]

In Sheffield, we are lucky enough to have Weston Park Hospital in the City Centre. It is one of only four dedicated cancer hospitals in the whole of the UK, and is recognised internationally not only for its incredible patient care, but also for its pioneering research unit.

So far, they have helped my Nannan through so much over the past four months, and after just two chemotheraphy sessions, her tumour had shrunk by about 65%. We are now awaiting the MRI results after session number four - so keep your fingers crossed for her!

Words are not enough to thank them. 

This is why, on Sunday 13th July, I will be running a 10k in London to raise money for the hospital. I'll be wearing a Weston Park running vest loud and proud and probably sporting a rather fetching ruby-red face.

I would be so incredibly grateful if you could contribute even just a small amount. I sincerely hope you have never been hurt by cancer, even indirectly. But your small donation could be enough to help someone else keep a loved one around for just that little bit longer.

Peace and love,

Dehenna x