In April 2024 i will be running the London Marathon for Sobell House a challenge i hope to rise to especially as i’m not a runner or even like running BUT my reason for doing it is very personal

In January 2020, my husband Darren was diagnosed with a very rare form of aggressive cancer called Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NET) with a prognosis of 12 to 18 months, at the time our four children were 16, 13, 9 and 2. By March the whole world was sent into chaos with an unimaginable disaster “the pandemic” families and friends were dealing with the juggle of working from home and home schooling and we were trying to make memories.

Sobell house was brilliant from the start of our diagnosis journey to the very end, they visited where possible and talked us through the steps and answered any question or offered what assistance we needed.

At the beginning of June, Darren had an appointment with the consultant – he was told he can either undergo an intense round of chemotherapy, which could give him one to six months, or stop treatment with a prognosis of three months. We decided to stop the cancer treatment and concentrate on the time left.

On Thursday 25th June, Darren was admitted to hospital not for the first time but this time it felt very different. A day later I was called in to speak with the doctor who confirmed my fears that this was the end and there was nothing more they could do! Due to the strict restrictions in hospital at that time i had hoped to bring Darren home but unfortunately that option was unable to become a reality, so instead he was transferred to Sobell House. This was where he wanted to be when we discussed what he wanted at the beginning, Darren’s Dad Mick died in 2011 in Sobell house and it was the most relaxing welcoming place for patients and families and that was what he wanted their support for his family at a time when he wouldn’t be able to do it!

However our experience of Sobell house in 2020 is so much different to pre 2020 and now thank goodness - in a difficult time Sobell house continued to show the care and support that the restrictions allowed. I was able to speak with a priest by video link, they set up a bed next to Darren to allow me to stay overnight at the end. They supported and took care of me to the best they could in a crazy time when they could no longer offer the hands-on caring they are passionate about. Unfortunately i wasn’t able to have anyone with Darren and i at the end like so many at that time but i didn’t feel alone.

I will never forget Sobell house and I wanted to do something in Darren’s memory and make him proud of how far we’ve come and will continue to grow with him in our hearts. He was never one to give up or let life get him down so here I go!!

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