This year, this month, and this date, 21th January, marks four years since my Mum passed away in Myton Hospice, with my family and I sitting beside her. I have luckily managed to secure a ballot place in the London Landmarks Half Marathon in May 2021 (covid dependant!), and I want to take the opportunity to fundraise and raise awareness for Myton Hospice, who, due to Covid, are struggling to meet the financial requirements necessary to help those most in need at the end of their lives. Having been born a clumsy great oaf instead of the nimble, graceful and beautiful ballerina that I was intended to be, running this sort of distance has not come naturally, and has taken a great deal of cold, early and thankless mornings in order to build up the stamina and sheer endurance required to stay upright and functioning to run 21km. I would say the sight of me attempting to harness this skill is overly reminiscent of an out of control stream train thundering along a frozen track early on a winters morning - the sound of which causes all nearby resting wildlife to evacuate their nests and flee to pastures new. My natural gait and speed could be likened to a overburdened Queen Mary coming in to dock - if I can’t raise awareness for  Myton Hospice hurtling wildly through the main thoroughfares of London wearing a bright red bib then I have no idea what will.

I want to run the marathon in under two hours 20 minutes - this means pushing for a continuous pace throughout and absolutely no stopping or walking! 

My Mother was admitted to Myton multiple times before the end of her life, for much needed pain relief management, support and respite care. This meant that I could carry on working and maintain some semblance of normal routine outside of home life. In the last six weeks of her life, two days after Christmas, Mum was finally admitted to Myton for end of life care, exactly as she had planned. Usually, the maximum length of stay permitted is four weeks - but due to the kindness and generosity of the staff, and in combination with my Mums ever expanding health needs which we were struggling to meet - Myton kindly made arrangements for her to stay until rather unbelievably for me, our time was up. She was ferociously determined to stay earth side for as long as possible, simply in order to preserve as many moments with me as she could. Despite rigorous and relentless rounds of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgeries and hair loss, I only saw her sad once, when she remarked, ‘whatever will I do once we are apart?’ The days before she died, it was business as usual, I went into work as I had done every single day. That weekend, Myton had arranged some onsite accommodation for my family and I, meaning we could stay as close as we wanted. We eventually parted ways at the end of a crisp, sunny January day, with my mums private patio doors opening onto the landscaped gardens of Myton Hospice - again, exactly as she had planned - a perfect view of the garden and a perfectly peaceful ending - entirely thanks to the expertise and attentiveness of the doctors, nurses and support staff. Admittedly, it was rather poor timing on my Mums part, as I was in the very final stages of an online delivery order, choosing between a large Hawaiian stuffed crust which served six or a veggie delight deep pan, needless to say I received neither. Myton Hospice is a charity entirely funded by donations; 80% of income comes directly from fundraising alone, and because of Covid, this has largely been unable to take place - meaning Myton has a shortfall of around £500,000 - potentially reducing crucial future services and aid for end of life palliative care. We didn’t pay a penny for any of the care or treatment we received, and it was given tirelessly, continuously and without falter, by day, night, weekend, or whenever it was most needed. I could give numerous examples of the astounding care we received, but it would most probably take me longer to construe and verbalise than it would to run a full marathon. I can only hope if I am lucky enough to live a full and healthy life, and that when I reach my end, services like Myton Hospice are still existing in order to help others as much as they helped us - there will never be a way that I can thank them enough. 

Thank you to everyone who has already donated on my paper form, any donation, however small, is very much appreciated xxx