Thanks for taking the time to visit our page and read about our challenge which is to do Wainwright's famous Coast to Coast walk in May 2011. We will be walking approximately 200 miles and climbing and descending the equivalent height of Mt Everest in 2 weeks.

We hope that after reading our story you will be able to donate to one or both of our chosen charities which are close to our hearts.

January 2008 I received the call from Mum, I knew she’d been feeling under the weather but to be honest I never expected those words “I’ve got some bad news, I have cancer”. Mum had a tumour on her kidney, she successfully had the kidney removed but the late diagnosis meant the cancer had already spread. She was very determined though and took all the advice and treatment available. She even managed to go on holiday to the Lake District and in August we took Mum and Dad to Brussels for their Ruby wedding anniversary.

In January 2009 we learnt Dad also had cancer. He became ill extremely quickly and we soon learnt from the consultant that he didn’t have very long to live. This was a real blow to the whole family. Dad wished to be cared for at home and even though Mum was battling her own illness, with the help of the family, St Helena Hospice, Macmillan and staff from the Essex County Hospital she gave him his wish. Dad spent some time in the St Helena Hospice for respite which was invaluable and helped us to make arrangements for him to spend his last weeks at home.

In July 2009 Dad passed away at home and it soon showed that the stress of caring and losing her life long soul mate had taken its toll on Mum. She was very lonely and I know how much her trips to the Hospice Day Centre brightened her up. Sadly she finally lost her battle in April 2010 and again it was her family along with the help of the St Helena Hospice and the Hospital that made her final days at home possible.

This is a truly sad story especially for those who knew and loved Chris and Tony and is still very raw for the family. Obviously we all want to see better treatments for cancer but we do sadly have to accept that not everyone can be cured at this time. We cannot thank enough for the help and support St Helena Hospice and Macmillan has given my Mum, Dad and family over the past 2 years.

Chris and Tony were extremely independent and did not accept help readily, always taking the view that others were worse off than them. It would be their wish to give something back, and so it is on their behalf as well as ours that we ask you to sponsor us on our walk from Coast to Coast.