A bit about me and why!

Being born in Horndean and never really leaving the area, The Rowans Hospice has, for as long as I can remember, been there. Thankfully I didn’t really have much to do with it for the first 34 years of my life until my dad was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer closely followed by Mum being diagnosed with Breast Cancer. This is when I started to see the great work and support Rowans were able to give, Dad fought on for 3 years but unfortunately lost that battle in November 2006. Thankfully, Mum went into remission, and we had another 9 years of great memories while still being supported by the staff at the Rowans. Sadly for my Mum it returned, and so on my 46th birthday I travelled by ambulance with her to The Rowans where a day later she also lost that fight but surrounded by her family, all the while being cared for professionally and respectfully by the Rowans great staff.

Shortly after my beautiful wife came home from doing a Race for life and announced she had signed me up for a 10K run, which was a bit of a shock as my health regime since leaving school had been going to the pub, and so I became a runner completing the 10K and continuing right up to running the 2012 London Marathon. However since this I have to admit to taking my foot off the gas in favour of the pub regime again!

Fast forward 12 years to 2024, stupidly I have always applied for the London Marathon public ballot buoyed on by watching it on TV but also knowing the likelihood of getting a place is highly unlikely but as I have found, not impossible, when I received the mail ‘Congratulations You Have a place’ swiftly followed by my initial reaction of WTF!!!!!!

Anyway, unfortunately recent years have also been more than a 'little run' challenging for some of our friends and families of which I have listed a couple below that have also required the help of The Rowans Hospice

Becky Mitchell - Oct 2023

Darrin Romp - Jan 2023

Sue Rourke - Apr 2024

& Kev Ranscombe - Jan 2024

So, for me this is to remember and honour all of the above, but also raise some desperately needed funds for The Rowans Hospice which is truly an amazing resource that’s part of our community!

Thanks for taking the time to read this, hopefully you can donate too

John x

Who are the Rowans:

Rowans Hospice provide palliative care to the highest quality for those living with a life-limiting illness in South East Hampshire. Our hospice carers help improve quality of life for the patient by easing physical symptoms and offering psychological, spiritual and social support to both patients and their loved ones. Hospice care is available round the clock. We receive a very small level of statutory support from the Government, however, almost all of the money needed to provide our services has to be raised through donations and fundraising