Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

It took just over two years when I was just a child for my life to turn upside down. Firstly, when I was still in primary school my wonderful Grandma was taken from us after a battle with cancer. I still get sad remembering how wonderful she was, realising now that I'm a mum myself just what my own mum lost that day, and wondering what might have been if she had lived on and been in my life longer than she was. 

Just two years later, cancer devastated our family again. My only Uncle, my Monkey Mike, a fun loving man who would fill me with joy when he came to visit and lift me up so high I could touch the ceiling, was taken from us. My mum - who I now realise is the bravest person I know to raise two children in the midst of her own grief - lost her little brother that day. We all lost a wonderful man and the hope of what was to come in his life and our lives together.

Cancer is an absolute arse. Research is one amazing area of charity work involved in cancer support, but I remember the nurses who visited my Grandma before she died at home, and the hospice when I visited Uncle Mike for the last time - aged 12 - and realised he was going to die very soon. That day he barely opened his eyes, but he managed a smile for me. When I think of the effort running a marathon will take, I still imagine it will be far less than the effort that smile took in a body that could barely breathe.

Macmillan do amazing work in supporting those with cancer and their families. There is no easy way to face cancer, nothing that will make it alright, but they are there so nobody has to face it alone.

Please give what you can and I'll give what I can every mile... And try to finish with a smile! :-)

(By the way I entered this with 7 weeks to go... So please forgive me if I'm a walking zombie between now and 4th October!!)

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.