One in three of us will get cancer at some point in our lives- that’s a fact. Chances are everyone who reads my story will know someone battling cancer- it is everywhere, invading people’s lives. Macmillan nurses spend their time supporting families who are caring for someone with cancer who is nearing the end of their life. Disgracefully these amazing teams are not wholly government funded- they are a charity and rely on fundraising for 98% of their income. They simply cannot exist without events like these. 

Here is my story. In 2006 my Aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, and it had already spread meaning it was incurable. She fought hard for 4 years undergoing chemo, radiotherapy, hormone therapy along with numerous procedures, tests etc. In early 2010 the cancer had spread too far and she deteriorated quickly, dying in the February. 

In September of the same year my wonderful, wonderful Dad, after enjoying a fabulous holiday to Turkey, fell ill and in early October he had been diagnosed with lung cancer- and like my aunt, it had already spread to his spine, meaning we were looking at treatments to prolong his life, not cure this disease. My Dad died within 7 weeks of being diagnosed. He received some radiotherapy but unfortunately was too ill for an operation or chemo.  

Whilst the input my family received from Macmillan was short for both my aunt and my dad- it was nevertheless invaluable. They support with all aspects of end of life care from chemo to financial advice as well as support for families when a loved one has died. Without Macmillan nurses, families would be left in the dark- guessing how best to care for their family or friends. We all know how tight NHS funds are and quite simply, if Macmillan nurses were not available then there would be no such support.

Thank You for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page and reading my very frank and short story- I hope it has highlighted why I feel the need to get off my backside and raise some cash! I have developed a love for running- it is often the time I think most about my Dad. And so if I can raise a little bit of cash along the way to put to good use- then that’s a bonus. 

And here is some blurb about Just Giving: Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please, please dig deep and donate now- as they say, ‘every little helps’!