Cancer………much like everyone else I was always confident that it would never affect me, it’s what you hear about other people going through, but you never imagine for a second that you’d ever have to fight it yourself. It wasn’t until I was sat in that consultants room and he spoke those three words ‘very aggressive cancer’ that it hit me, I didn’t hear much else of what he said, all I remember is my heart beating very fast and my legs turning to jelly. I do remember him telling me that I only had 60% chance of beating this cancer and at the time, being only 18, seeming such crap odds.

In those couple of minutes my world had been blown apart and I had no control over what was going to happen to me from then on, I just had to put my faith in the doctors that they knew what they were doing, grit my teeth and get on with it. I never actually stopped to think about how they would treat me, what medication I would need, I just took it for granted that someone had that part sorted! Well luckily enough for me they did but if it wasn’t for money raised from events like this, years before I was even diagnosed, then they might not have had the knowledge to develop the treatment I needed to give me that 60% chance. 

There are four people in my family and three of them, myself and my two sons, would not be here today if it wasn’t for people like you giving just a few pennies to an amazing cause like this. I spend far too much precious time worrying about ever having cancer again and how it would impact on my boys lives. I would hate for them to have to see me go through what I went through last time or even have to grow up without me and I feel sick to even think about either of the boys being diagnosed with cancer. We are very much helpless when it comes to cancer and besides taking the normal precautions, sun cream, healthy diet etc raising money to find cures is our only way of protecting the ones we love.

 As sad as it is to say, with the statistics showing that 1 in 3 people are affected by cancer at some point in their life, you will undoubtedly come across cancer. Whether it be yourself or someone that you love being diagnosed, wouldn’t you like to know that millions of pounds and hours of research have been spent finding cures to help protect you or the ones you love and improve the chances of survival.

No one can change the cards you're dealt in life, you just have to take the good with the bad and muddle through the best you can. But isn't it nice to know that when you're facing the bad times you've got charities like cancer research, who over the years have been working hard, so that when that crucial moment comes and your life is in the hands of doctors, they are armed with all the knowledge they can possibly have to fight for your life.

Cancer doesn’t care whether you’ve got a life, a family and everything to lose. It doesn’t care if it turns your world upside down, whether it’s a convenient time or how much it is hurting you and the people who love you, it just takes your life into it’s hands at a seconds notice.

It is an evil disease that we need to stop from controlling us, stop it from cutting short people’s lives together. I'm sure the majority of people reading this have, at some point, had a cancer scare. That lump you found and prayed to god would be nothing more than a cyst, and the relief you felt when the doctor confirms it's nothing to worry about. I pray you never have to find out what it feels like when it’s not such good news.  

I have run the race for life for several years and I want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all the people who have sponsored me over the years, I still can’t believe how amazingly generous people have been. You’re fantastic!!  

I am 30 in November, an age I didn't honestly think I would see and to say a massive thank you to Cancer Research for their part in saving my life and making it possible to see my 30th I want to raise as much money as I can for this amazing charity. Rather than expect people to sponsor me to run the race for life again I thought I'd push myself a little bit harder this year, go slightly more extreme. So the plan is to jump out of a plane 10,000ft up in the sky. This is the plan and although I've always said I'd like to do a skydive, the truth is I think I'm possibly full of sh*t. But with the sponsorship and support of all my friends and family how can I not jump. When that moment comes when I have to slide my bum out of the plane, I will be thinking of the support I have from you all.

 

I have been one of the lucky ones, but there are so many who aren’t so lucky, so many families living without their mum, dad, son, daughter etc. So please please sponsor me, even just 50p would move me closer to achieving my target.  

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my fundraising page. Please dig deep and sponsor me online it's secure so don't worry. (Don't forget about Git Aid)