In May 2023, my very dear friend Rachel died aged 33 after a short, courageous battle with a very aggressive form of Secondary Breast Cancer (Triple Negative) which had spread to her liver and bones.

Rachel was married to Alaster in August 2022 and passed away just 9 months later after being diagnosed with cancer at the end of January. Rachel leaves behind her devastated family and friends who were all very proud to have her in their lives and miss her terribly.

In Rachel’s final week she, along with Alaster and her close friends, were supported by the amazing Cancer team and Macmillan nurses at Mount Vernon Hospital, and we want to say thank you.

On 24th September, alongside Alaster and some of Rachel's other close friends, I will be running in the Moor Park 10k for the Mount Vernon Cancer Charity.

Any donations will help to raise funds for scalp cooling caps which cost over £44,000 per cap and aren't funded through the NHS. Rachel wore these so bravely during her chemo but there are not enough caps for all patients undergoing treatment due to a lack of funding. For Rachel as a young women, losing her hair had a huge impact on her. It’s another battle she didn’t quite win but for others retaining their hair is something they can throw back at cancer.

Find out more about Rachel here: https://remembering-rachel.com/

Picture 1: Rachel and myself on Rachel's wedding day in August 2022.

Picture 2: Rachel and myself before her diagnosis.