I am running the Brighton marathon as a tribute to my  mum who died of pancreatic cancer on 8th November 2013.

Some of you will have met my mum. She was a woman who embraced life. She was an 'out doorsy' woman who cycled around Selsey, her home town, helping her friends and others out by walking their dogs and feeding all sorts of life forms. In the mix were ferrets, snakes and lizards along with the usual pet forms.

She once set up a theatre company and helped improve the quality of life to many elderly people through performing musicals in residential and nursing homes in Selsey.

At the age of 69 years she suffered a stroke which rendered her disabled. She learnt to walk, talk and write again over time although she was unable to leave the house without the aid of a wheelchair. I'm sure this got her down although you would never have known it. She was a woman who 'got on with things and this was her attitude when she discovered she had pancreatic cancer. From her hospital bed she declared 'well lets get me home so we can get on with it'. She died at home with us nursing her just 6 weeks after her diagnosis.

Community care staff were second to none in helping to care for my mum and especially the St Wilfrids clinical nurse specialist

I want to go all out to beat my target and aim to raise funds to support a cancer sufferer in their day care at St Wilfreds. My mum was fortunate enough to spend two mornings in the St Wilfred's day centre before she died and she talked about meeting lovely people.

 

 

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