Stand-Up to Cancer!

Do you want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and every donation will help.

Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause which means so much to me.

I remember as a child hearing the dreaded "c" word, not really understanding the disease, but knowing enough that it was bad, that it was painful, that it meant our loved ones were taken from us before their time.

Time is our most precious currency. Time with our loved ones is never enough. I grew up knowing that cancer would shorten that time. Unfortunately as an adult, cancer hit close to home. In the space of six months, lung cancer took away one of my dearest, one of the purest and kindest souls I will ever have the privilege to know.

A person who showered me with love and support. A person who always felt like home, like safety, like unconditional love. Her cancer was terrifying and ugly and I have never felt so helpless in my life. There was nothing we could say and nothing we could do. This was all happening during Covid, when we were forced to isolate. Unable to sit by her side, unable to hold her hand, unable to look in her the eyes and tell her how much we loved her and how much she meant to us, how special an imprint she had made in our lives. We talked on the phone and did healing meditations together over speakerphone. We tried our best to stay connected, to stay positive. I protected myself with denial. Denial that she would be stolen away from us. I kept believing that she would beat it, the operation would make it all go away, the chemo would cure her. Huge advancements had been made and cancer no longer had to be a death sentence, she would be the exception. Because of lockdown, we didn't get to exchange that last hug, we exchanged "final" text messages and said our goodbyes. I will treasure those texts forever.

Attending a funeral during lockdown is a harrowing experience that I will never forget. A funeral where hugs were not allowed, where our love and our pain and hurt could only be exchanged underneath masks and through our tear-flooded eyes; and so began the painful journey of grief, one which I am still trying to navigate through.

Dreaded cancer came knocking again and again it hit close to home. This time, attacking my soul sister's dad. Someone I have known my whole life, someone who is family to me. Having so much to live for, he is a warrior and he has fought this wretched disease. He has gone through all the treatments. He has been brave. He has walked my best friend down the aisle, a moment I will carry with me forever. He has lived an honourable life and is the true embodiment of goodness and the purest of values. His work ethic is unmatched. His devotion to his family is something to behold. His kindness and generosity has no limits. He is a good and honourable man. After a brave and valiant fight, his cancer has returned. But he isn't giving up, his family and his friends and all of us who love him and are lucky enough to know him, we are not giving up. We are praying. We are visualising, we are meditating and manifesting for his recovery. But that feeling of helplessness remains.

Despite being a naturally unathletic person, I am challenging myself to a 10k race to stand up to cancer, to raise as many funds as I can for those whose lives have been affected by cancer, for those who have lost loved ones and for those who find themselves in the middle of the fight.

I have seen first hand the invaluable role that Macmillan has played in helping families through this battle.

More information about Macmillan Cancer Support: Macmillan, gives people with cancer everything they’ve got. If you're diagnosed, your worries are their worries. They will move mountains to help you live life as fully as you can.

And they don't stop there. They are going all out to find even better ways to help people with cancer, helping to bring forward the day when everyone gets life-transforming support from day one. They are doing whatever it takes.

But without your help we can't support everyone who needs it. So this June, let’s stand-up to cancer!

Thank you to all who support & donate, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!