My fundraiser for Maggie's Centres
Fundraising for Maggie's Centres
Story
They say when it rains it pours, well pour it did, for me and my family. In 2023 my dad, the man I look up to, was told he had cancer, again, this time it was his lungs and it was incurable, which as you csn imagine for anyone was devastating to hear. But the story doesn’t end there, that same day my mum sat me down to also tell me she had found a lump, and her breast cancer was back. I couldn’t believe it, both my parents with cancer at the same time. But again, the story doesn’t end there.
Not long after that, my partner, my fiancée, the mother of my child, told me she had found a lump in her breast, and that she too had cancer, at the age of 39. Not the hatrick I had hoped for.
It was like getting hit with a wrecking ball, but we found some light as a few days later, we found out Naomi was pregnant with our second child. Her cancer was growing quickly, so she had to have surgery urgently to remove the tumour, shortly after the surgery we had a routine scan of the baby's progress, only to be told devastating news that there was no heart beat. That was the second baby we had lost that year. We had no time to grieve the loss as Naomi had to carry on quickly with her treatment.
After a gruelling 20 weeks of chemo, more surgery, 15 rounds of radiotherapy, and more medication than you can imagine, we’re here to tell the unimaginable tail, JUST...
Throughout this crazy journey, Naomi has had the support and still has the continued support of the Maggie’s centre, Wirral. The dedicated team were there to listen when she just needed to cry, with cake and warm cups of team. Along with specialist support groups like the young women’s cancer group she goes to where she has met other young women who have been told they too have cancer. Along with makeup sessions for women who are going through treatment and a plethora of other facilities and groups on offer. The support of Maggies is endless, not only did they support Naomi, but they also offered support to me.
This amazing organisation can only operate by donations and volunteers, and now it’s time to give something back for all that they have done for me and my family.
On Monday 2nd September, I will be toeing the line in one of UK's hardest Mountain Ultra running races: 'The Dragons Back Race'*. At 6am, I will be setting off from Conway Castle, North Wales and running through the mountainous spine of Wales all the way to Cardiff Castle, South Wales. It will be an Ultra Marathon every day for 6 days, totalling 390km (265miles) and over 17,400m (57,500ft) of elevation - the equivalent of running up Mt Everest more than twice!
Many of you will know the gruelling training I have gone through over the last 7months, alongside supporting my family, work and all of life’s other obstacles.
This is my biggest challenge by far, and something I’m incredibly proud to be able to do to help raise essential funds for Maggie’s Cancer care Wirral. All of us are affected by, or know someone who has been affected by this disease.
Please help by donating to my page, and help Maggie’s Centre, Wirral to continue doing their amazing work for every family that is going through their own cancer struggles now, and in the future. No matter how much you can afford, it all makes a difference.
* The Dragons Back race is considered to be one of the toughest mountain races in the world, with less than half of the competitors reaching the finish line. Last year only 87 out of 360 competitors finished! I will give it my everything to make it to Cardiff, but I'm not taking anything for granted.
Thank you from all of us.
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