Please help me raise money for 'The Ovarian Fund' through the Imperial College Health Charity, led by Dr Natasha Rinnie, under the supervision of Professor Christina Fotopoulou. 

Next year, 2022, I will run 10K for this charity in return for your kind support and sponsorship. 

In August 2020 I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, so this is a charity very close to my heart; you can read more about my journey below.

Of the gynecological cancers, Ovarian Cancer is responsible for causing the most deaths, it has a very low cure rate. 

Despite most women responding well to their chemotherapy treatment initially, more than 80% will go on to relapse and develop resistance to treatment. There are currently no effective drugs available to overcome this.

Dr Natasha's research is looking at improving the understanding of the biology of the disease, and at discovering new treatment
options. She hopes that these new treatments will make women who have relapsed, begin to respond to their chemotherapy again, and so improve their survival.

She is now over half-way through her research, but there is still so much to do! 

Your donations will go directly to the charity so that the team can continue to find new ways to fight this disease.

I cannot tell you how important this research is to Ovarian Cancer patients. Sadly one day it could be one of your family members or friends, or it could be you!

Please sponsor me and at the same time say a prayer that you will never be inflicted with this awful disease. 

My Story

I'm Linda Woodhouse (Taylor) and on 15th August 2020 I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. 

To say the diagnosis turned my world upside down is the biggest understatement but thanks to the support of my amazing husband Mark and my outstanding family and many friends, I found the courage and strength to fight and today I'm all clear, I'm No Evidence of Disease (NED) and feel so blessed and lucky to be alive and well.  

My journey started in June 2020, I was sick but the docs put it down to my usual digestive issues. On three separate occasions I was admitted to hospital from A&E and on each occasion, I had a scan. Sadly, on each occasion the doctors failed to spot a 9 cm tumor, (bigger than a tennis ball) on my right ovary. 

I owe my life to Professor Christina Fotopoulou who agreed to operate on me when the first surgeon declined. I also owe a special thanks and gratitude to Dr Jonathan Krell, my oncologist, who worked his magic with the cocktail of chemotherapy drugs to reduce the tumor pre-surgery and mop up the remnants post. He finds time to listen to me and treats me as a human being for which i am truly grateful. His assistant Tahera is the best assistant I've ever worked with in my business life, off the scale amazingly helpful and efficient.

A special thank you too to Jess Holliday my friend and Wellness Coach who taught me how to be calm, how to breathe, how to meditate and how to find a place in my head where i can go to when I need rest, thanks buddy! 

This run is for Christina, to say thank you to her for saving my life, for her kindness and warmth, for treating me as a human being and not as a cancer patient and for always being available when I've needed her. For motivating me on my journey, and for the amazing help and support she has given to all Ovarian Cancer patients.

Christina is an exceptional surgeon and doctor, I believe she was sent by God to help people, words cannot fully express my respect, admiration, gratitude and love for this amazing lady! 

I hope my many friends who read this post and are surprised I didn’t share my illness with them, will find it in their heart to forgive me.

A cancer diagnosis is life changing, I kept it a secret from many people because I didn’t want sympathy, I just wanted to be treated as me; it’s a coping mechanism. Sadly, some people treat you as the illness, the last thing I ever wanted from anyone was sympathy; support and kindness was all I needed.

You know when you’re sick…I mean really sick… you are at your most vulnerable most days. During this time you find our who your true friends really are and I'm so lucky to be surrounded by some exceptional friends and an AMAZING family.

So, on 13th February 2022, I will be running the Goodwood 10k for the Ovarian Cancer Fund, with my bestie Ellie Patsalos and my husband Mark. I beg you to sponsor me and, if possible, get off of that couch and run, crawl or walk with me at Goodwood or from wherever you live in the UK or further afield. 

Do this for me and for anyone you know who has cancer, who's gone through it and has been cured or is in remission or who has passed and their memory lives on in you. 

A 10K run is a lot for me but my determination will win through. 

I have an ambitious target, I always do, that's me!

However, with you, my amazing friends and family, who I know will support me, I know I will achieve it and for that I am truly grateful and thankful. 

Linda xx