Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page, I'd like to take the time to tell you a little about why I am raising money for Myton Hospice and how I am doing that. Please take the time to read my message even if you can't donate.

Myton hospice is a great charity here in the midlands, it offers care to the terminally ill. It does this in several ways - as an inpatient, through day care, counselling and spiritual support to both adults and children. It's aim is to empower people to take control of their lives during their illness. It also offers respite care and support of the carers of those with an incurable illness.

My family have used the services of Myton 3 times during my life. 

My mother fought with breast cancer and later lung cancer when I was still at high school, a battle she lost, but one she fought with every ounce of will she had. She was still smiling at the end. Myton offered her a bed and sensitive care in the weeks leading up to the end. It also offered my father and grandparents some much needed respite from the stress of long term caring so that they could re-double their efforts when she came home to say her goodbyes.

Just 3 short years later, my father who having won a battle with lung cancer needed the support of Myton as a brain tumour took hold of him. While my dad didn't want to use the inpatient service, he relied heavily on the other support Myton offered both him and my family.

More recently my Grandmother used their respite service as an inpatient as stomach cancer weakened her system substantially. Their care of her was tender and thoughtful.

Like many people I have eaten and drank slightly to much over the years and the pounds have piled on while the fitness levels shrank back. It slowly creeps up on you until it feels like it's an impossible mountain to climb, an all to familiar story i'm sure. In August last year I decided to do something about it. I weighed in at 15st 8lb and could not run to the end of the road. I started eating a more sensible diet and started using the NHS' brilliant couch to 5k app. Fast forward a few months and I am now 13st 6lb - 2st lighter and love running. I can run 7-8K now and can do 5k in about 30 minutes. Now, neither the weight or the time are as low as I would like them to be but I have made a great start. I'd like to get down to 12st something and run the 5k in a competitive time. I'll just keep at it.

Events like this Mudnificent 7 give me the opportunity to not only have an athletic goal to aim at, helping keep my motivation up, but also give me the opportunity to raise some much needed cash for a great charity. I'd really appreciate it if you could give all you can afford to help them carry on providing a great service.

Without Myton Hospice in our local community many more families would suffer even greater hardship than these terrible illnesses already bring. Myton manage to bring a touch of well needed light and warmth to what is often an extremely distressing time to patients and loved ones alike.

Thanks for taking the time to read.

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