Hello all,

On the 28th of May Sophie, Emily and myself will be taking part in the Edinburgh Half Marathon for Cancer Research UK. Although a half marathon may not seem like too much of a challenge, it will be for us!

After being diagnosed with stage 3a Melanoma skin cancer, Sophie was given the all-clear earlier this year. She is incredibly grateful for her positive outcome and wanted to take on the half-marathon in order to support Cancer Research UK.

The dangers of being overexposed to the sun is something that most people are told about but it isn't until you see the real impacts that you become truly aware of how dangerous it can be. Sophie is determined to use her experience to raise awareness of the importance of protecting your skin and to raise funds for the vital research that can make such a difference in the lives of others.

Emily is running and fundraising to support her sister and to recognise how brave Sophie was during this incredibly difficult period. Em wants to raise awareness of the importance of getting your skin checked if you notice changes, as well as supporting the vital work that cancer research undertake to tackle cancer.

I am running and raising money to support Sophie, as well as running in memory of my mum's brother, Huw, who passed away as a result of skin cancer. 

The money we raise through the event will help CRUK with their critical work in ways such as:                                  

- £35 buys the nutrients that cells need to grow in the lab, allowing scientists to find out more about cancer than ever before.

 - £50 buys a microscope lens, meaning our scientists can focus on the small details that could help us beat cancer. 

- £200 buys DNA nucleotides. These chemical building blocks make up a strand of DNA. Scientists use them to make copies of important genes, giving us clues about how things go wrong in cancer. 

- £270 buys an Exome sequencing experiment to find out in-depth information about our DNA, so our scientists can find cancer-causing mutations.

Any contributions, no matter how big or small, would mean the world to us. 

We will keep you updated on our progress as the event draws nearer! 

Love,

Sophie, Em & Paddy x