2020 was the begining of one of the toughest instalments of all my time.

In February 2020, after months and months of medical investigations, my sister Maxine, at 49 years young, was given a devastating blow, a diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer. Strong, determined, positive and surrounded by love, she accepted the diagnosis, and asked that she didn’t know numbers or statistics, but she was to be treated as if she would live to a ripe old age.

Exactly one week later, on the day of Maxine’s first chemotherapy, I was given the diagnosis of breast cancer.

I had emergency fertility preservation treatment, a mastectomy, biopsies confirming the cancer had gone into my lymphatic system, so then had chemotherapy and radiotherapy too.

Maxine had chemotherapy, a full hysterectomy followed by more chemotherapy. After her hysterectomy she was told that the operation had gone better than they could’ve hoped and all the cancer had either been killed by the chemo, or removed by the operation. Oh how we all marvelled at this news.

Together (but apart … thanks COVID) we went bold, no eyebrows, nose hair, head hair … and no wigs. We suffered the many, many, many side effects of our treatment, and worked out how to navigate the confusing days through treatment and through COVID.

Together we stayed positive. We were definitely integral in each other’s positive mindsets. But I couldn’t have got through it without Maxine. Despite going on her own journey, she would always make time for me, always help me find a positive spin, help me to still be the best version of myself. We would speak daily and share our experiences. This was so important to us both.

Maxine was surrounded by love and support in her immediate family, wider family and so many friends and neighbours.

Maxine and myself tested positive to having the mutated BRCA1 gene meaning that we were both more genetically susceptible to ‘female cancers’, ovarian and breast.

I ended up having a second mastectomy and an oophorectomy (removal of fallopian tubes and ovaries) to reduce the risk of my breast cancer coming back or developing ovarian cancer.

Maxine planned to have a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer too.

After Maxine’s operation and chemotherapy she went onto a maintenance drug. All of the trials had had amazing results, especially with people carrying the mutated BRCA1 gene.

After a few short weeks on this drug it was clear that Maxine’s body was struggling with some of the side effects.

Her blood oxygen level had gotten so low that she was operating on the same level as someone would if they were on the top of Mount Everest. Some days climbing the stairs would make her breathless and need a recuperation break.

On the maintenance drug Maxine became transfusion dependant. She had to have two blood transfusions each month just to increase her blood oxygen level just into the ‘normal’ range. It would soon drop again.

The nightmare continued.

While I was coming out the other side of my treatment receiving the all clear and trying to put my life back together, Maxine’s treatment continued … someone didn’t get the memo that we had planned to recover together!

Maxine continued to have scans and tests, monitoring her condition and progress. Unfortunately I’m 2021 just 10 months after Maxine’s operation, she was told that the cancer had returned.

Maxine remained focused and positive, no way was this uninvited, unwelcome knob settling into her body again without a fight!

Maxine had two more different concoctions of chemotherapy regimes, and followed doctors orders to a T.

Maxine went into hospital in July 2022 unable to eat or drink anything. She stayed there for her 52nd birthday where no one could even visit as her ward was closed due to a COVID outbreak.

After 11 days in the hospital and glimmers of hope peaking through regarding possible solutions to this blockage, they finally declared that there was nothing more that could be done.

Devastation, anger, confusion, desperation …. there is not one set of words which could accurately encompass the emotion that this knowledge gave us all.

But Maxine … there’s one word that stands out … positivity!

She spent 5 weeks in Severn Hospice and she remained as positive as ever. She made sure that her friends and family around her were ok. She would wake up for visitors and encourage fun, laughter, games, and nonsense chit chat all engulfed in copious amounts of love and warmth.

In this time Maxine had hundreds of visitors, including dogs and children. It was a spectacle for sure. When Maxine first got to the hospice she said ‘I hope you guys are ready for a circus, I have a big family’. Being one of seven, she wasn’t wrong, and the visits did not disappoint.

Maxine was always so proud of the people she had in her life, taking time to champion every last person or even animal. Her heart was ever growing and her love endless.

I am running the London marathon to raise money for Severn hospice in memory of Maxine who we lost in September 2022.

So many worlds changed at this point. Nothing was the same, nothing was familiar.

Before Maxine went to hospital my marriage broke down, Maxine saw me become a version of myself she hadn’t seen in years. She was so excited to see me and knew my future would look so different.

Her excitement for my journey ahead will drive me forever more. I will challenge myself, never settle and continually assess my life and ensure I am living to my potential and am showing myself the appreciation, love and commitment that I deserve.

Maxine will forever be a part of me.

Severn Hospice is with families from the moment they're referred to its care for as long as they need it, and it does this every day, all day for anyone in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales who needs that help.

It does this for them for free, but it is not without cost and it can't happen without you. For every £1 you donate, the hospice will spend 88p directly on care – and use the remaining 12p to make another £1.

Last year, all those individual donations meant the hospice could be there when it mattered for 3,000 local families.