Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
 
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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
 
For those that know me well, I am a giver not a taker and will do anything I can for those family and friends that I love dearly.  Saying that I am going to train for this half marathon could be laughable as I always come up with crazy ideas for raising money and never follow them through!  I am determined to run this half marathon and raise funds for the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Charity as if it wasn't for this charity and especially Ward 44 at Manchester Royal Infirmary, there wouldn't have been as much information available to help my best friend beat blood cancer. 
 
My friend was a healthy 32 year old guy with a wife and 2 young children with a good job and happiness all around him. After back trouble/pain it transpired that he had ALL type of blood cancer. 
 
Once presented to the hospital it took a few days to confirm what his illness was and he very quickly started chemotherapy.  The first bout was ok, the second bout of chemo totally wiped him out and at Xmas last year he had to stay in hospital where he was extremely poorly following his 2nd course of chemo and developed pneumonia and other threatening illnesses.
 
He spent weeks in hospital where he couldn't see his children, Christmas and New Year last year was critical and on NYE 2012/13 we held a charity night for Ward 44 where he stayed and raised £2500 with the generosity of family and friends and local businesses.  Whilst the evening was a success, it was also bittersweet as we all just wanted our friend to be with us on what should have been a celebratory evening.
 
There's also all of his family that were emotionally drained, upset and sick with worry for Dave. His wife was an absolute rock to each and every one of them, their children and to her husband and her love, support, dedication and the determination she gave to her husband was amazing.  She showed all of us that in her position, everyone has to have the courage, determination and that by believing that giving up was not an option, there could be light at the end of the tunnel.
 
Last year it was too raw to even think of doing anything to raise money for this charity but after 18 months of chemotherapy treatment, and a couple of years left to go, my friend is ok and we are nearly over this and if it wasn't for the thousands of people raising money for charities then people could be in a very unfortunate and different position. Donating to charities helps!
 
Now that he is on the right track to recovery, I am up for my own little challenge with this half marathon and want to help raise as much money as possible for this charity. We all think it won't happen to us, but let me tell you it does!
 
Please, please dig deep and donate something.....
 
Your donation could help a blood cancer patient in one of many ways:
£5 allows a newly diagnosed patient to receive a supply of our blood cancer information books
£25 pays for one sample of DNA to be analysed using a micro array test, helping to identify genes linked to blood cancer
£50 funds a PhD student for one day on one of our vital research projects building on a network of expert blood cancer scientists for the future
£100 supports a research nurse for one day to help provide new treatments to blood cancer patients on one of our life-saving clinical trials
£250 is a weeks worth of essential laboratory supplies used to conduct vital research to improve treatments
£300 pays for a blood cancer patient’s DNA to be screened providing a more accurate diagnosis and helping to guide treatments
£1,000 helps to buy sophisticated equipment needed to understand blood cancers
 
See more at: http://leukaemialymphomaresearch.org.uk/give/where-your-money-goes#sthash.5tQqMvNA.dpuf
 
 
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my just giving page, and please help me raise at least £2000! You may think that is too high to raise alone, but having known how many blood tests my friend has received in the last 18 months, £2000 probably doesn't even cover it!  
 
Gail x