Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

The photo was taken in May 2019, just after chemotherapy had finished. It shows my first swim since diagnosis in the cold sea of the Scilly Isles - what a joyous moment!

Why  am I doing a swimming challenge when I love walking?

• Friends who know me know how much I love walking!
• I've developed lymphoedema in my right leg and unfortunately, walking makes it worse.
• Luckily, I can still swim. I just can't use my leg much or it swells up badly.
• My challenge is to swim a mile using mainly my upper body.
• It's nearly 25 years since I've swum a mile so it really is a challenge!

Why Weldmar Hospicecare?

• I was diagnosed with 'treatable but not curable' endometrial cancer in November, 2018.
• Following major surgery and chemotherapy, new tumours appeared.
• On 2nd July, 2019, I was told there were no further treatment options available to me. Surgery and radiotherapy would ‘do more harm than good’.
• Around the same time the following year, in July, 2020 my condition deteriorated and I was assigned a palliative care nurse from Weldmar Hospicecare.
• Emma has changed everything for myself and my husband, Pete.
• I'm no longer just dying, I'm truly living the end of my life and, I hope, living it well.
• I've already had amazing support from the doctors and nurses, as well as from volunteer counsellors and therapists at Weldmar.
• We both know that whatever the need, there is always someone there for us and that makes all things bearable.

Why support me in my Big Swim Challenge? 

• It costs £18,000 per day to fund the free of charge services from which I am benefitting. 
• Only 21% of funding is received from the NHS 
• The remaining 79% of  funds are raised by events like this.