Sadly, I lost my wife to colon cancer in February 2015. Marylise was from St.Quentin in northern France and we met 40 years ago when she came to England as a French Assistante and I was on teaching practice at the same school in Doncaster. If ever there was a case of "love at first sight", this was it. She had a varied career including, teaching French, working for the Youth Service, Sundeck Manager at Doncaster Dome in charge of Aerobics,sales co-ordinator for Dorling-Kindersley books and more recently as a Translator/Interpreter for DITU in Doncaster. She was also a superb home-maker and a wonderful wife and mother to me and our son, Yann.

Marylise had always lived a very healthy life-style, which  made it especially difficult for all of us to accept her illness. Her cancer was stage 4 when diagnosed the previous December, so as a family, we had very little time to adjust. In her last few days, Marylise desperately wanted to go to a hospice, but medical staff did not think she was poorly enough and so she missed out on that extra level of care that a hospice can offer to patients and their families in those final hours. together.

I decided to take up this particular challenge for Rotherham Hospice in honour of Marylise. Rotherham is twinned with St.Quentin and it was my wife, who 25 years ago, made the initial connections between both towns in order for the twinning to take place.

I hope friends and family as well as businesses in the local community and individuals will get behind me and support this amazing organisation who continue to help so many at difficult moments in their lives. It would have been Marylise's dearest wish!

Thank you in advance for donations...big or small!

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