I am running the Brighton Marathon on 6th April to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Running a marathon has been one of my ambitions for a long time. Perhaps what I haven't always contemplated was the sheer amount of training miles needed to just survive the course. The prospect seems a little less exciting when it’s pouring with rain and I’ve been out two hours in it! Many of you know I do well to communicate in the morning so to start a marathon before 8am will possibly be the greatest challenge! The highlight of my running career so far has been winning the Salisbury Schools Mini Marathon aged 9, sadly nothing has quite topped that, but this year I am aiming to step up to the real thing.

The work the Marie Curie nurses do is hugely important. They provide care and support to the terminally ill and their carers either at home or in a Marie Curie Hospice. This means that their patients retain an element of control at this time and are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. Here are some ways your money would help:

£20 One hour of nursing in a patient’s home

£180 A Nurses’ overnight nine-hour shift in a patient’s home

£220 Marie Curie’s contribution to the cost of caring for a hospice in-patient for one day

£540 Overnight nursing care for three patients in their own homes

£4,000 The cost of running Marie Curie’s nationwide nursing service for an hour

I will be running the marathon in memory of my Grandad who passed away in May 2012. The care and support that the Marie Curie Nurses provided during several of the nights meant it was possible for him to come home for the few weeks he had left. He was surrounded by his family in a home environment where we have shared many special times together. From the point of view of his family, we could all be with him, even Bo the dog, in a familiar place. It was important to all of us that he was treated with the same love, respect and dignity that he has always shown to everybody else.

This is my way of saying thank you. I would be hugely appreciative of any money you can donate to support the work of the Marie Curie Nurses.

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