Hi

My youngest sister Ceri lost her battle against lung cancer on 29th September 2009.  She was just 34 years old.  Ceri was such a special and wonderful person.  She was funny, affectionate and a great mother to her beautiful daughter Leoni.  She has left a massive hole in all of our lives.  Nothing will ever be the same again.

On 17th September 2010 I will climb Mount Kilimanjaro in memory of my brave and wonderful sister Ceri.  Battling lung cancer was the toughest challenge she ever faced.  Ceri fought cancer with dignity and bravery and she never gave up hope.  She was quite simply an inspiration.  I initially decided to climb Kili to show Ceri how much she meant to me and how much I loved her.  I promised her I would climb to the top of the world to help her beat cancer.  Unfortunately my climb came too late to save her. 

I thought about giving up, but Ceri never did.  She was determined to face every challenge she was presented with.  So must I.  I will do this for her.  I will not give up.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro will be the toughest challenge of my life.  Kili is Africa's highest peak, standing at 19,340 ft/5,985 metres and is the tallest freestanding volcano in the world.  Compared to Ceri's battle against cancer, climbing Kili will be a walk in the park. 

Ceri touched so many people's lives when she was with us.  It was a privilege to have her as one of my sisters. Raising money in her memory is the least I can do.

Most people associate lung cancer with smoking, however more and more non-smokers, like Ceri, are diagnosed with lung cancer every year.  Many don't survive - lung cancer is the most common form of cancer death in Wales.  Although over 2,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer in Wales each year, lung cancer research is relatively poorly supported compared to other forms of cancer.  No-one deserves to get cancer, yet Cancer Research UK estimate that one in three people will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime.   I have already lost my sister, my uncle and my grandfather to lung cancer, and my other grandfather to a brain tumour.  My dad was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2001 and has beaten it. 

My wish is not just for people to beat cancer, but to stop it developing in the first place.  Cancer patients benefit from shared research, so it is important to highlight that results of the research conducted by Velindre will be shared nationally and internationally with other cancer practitioners, researchers, cancer centres and with other forms of cancer.

Hope this helps tell you why I am climbing Kili for Velindre.  Velindre has treated many of my family and friends with their fight against cancer and they will continue to do so until a cure can be found. 

So please dig deep and donate.  Your support is deeply appreciated.

With lots of love and thanks

Heidi x x x