Story
I am doing a non stop 36hr sports challenge to raise awareness/money for cancer research/hospice care
Last year I spent many weeks travelling the length of the country every weekend to watch my beautiful mum ('me mam' as I know her) gradually fade away. In her last week I was in the hospice 15 hours every day, until I noticed she was deteriorating further. I spent 36 hours nearly always by her bedside until she drew her final breath, surrounded by her family. It was an awful, surreal, touching, devastating, inspiring moment. And though it was the worst moment of my life without equal, I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else at that moment. Those who have experienced losing someone close through cancer will understand.
3 days later I snapped my achilles playing badminton (trying to take my mind off things!!), and had to attend the funeral in a pot and on crutches. I had to travel back to kent on the same day of the funeral in Leeds as my reconstruction operation was taking place in Kent the next morning.Not a great week you could say!!I have previously fully ruptured knee ligaments (skiing accident) requiring a double reconstruction and removal of all cartilidge in one knee, and a few years earlier ruptured 3 ligaments in my ankle playing squash, which still has restricted movement to this day. Needless to say I now have one or two aches and pains!During my time at the hospice (and in particular during the last 36 hours, 'me mam' ( though she wasn't speaking or coherent by then) inspired me to do something to give back to both the hospice, who did the most outstanding and humbling job of looking after her, and managing a very large family at the same time, and to cancer research, who are working tirelessly to rid us of this terrible terrible disease.I vowed to do a non stop 36 hour (the last period of time I spent at the hospice) challenge across a range of sports to raise money and awareness of cancer and the people who are affected by it. My ruptured achilles 3 days later didn't help this!! I will be doing this on 11/12 December at the University of Kent, Canterbury. Please give something for this cause. The 'BIG little challenge' is exactly that ... do something very little, as part of some thing very BIG. This is not my event, it is OUR event. I am merely acting as the catalyst to an event that can involve everyone who has been affected by cancer directly or indirectly. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!I intend the money to go to specific projects and equipment that directly transfer to saving & extending peoples lives. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.So please dig deep and donate now.Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.