I am running the  Race for Life in Regent's Park this May in aid of Cancer Research. In 2011, I ran (well, walked) this race in the memory of my best friend's father who passed away from pancreatic cancer that year. Since then the spectre of cancer has come closer and closer to my own home, and in February 2013, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then, we have had a number of close friends been diagnosed with various forms of this awful disease - lung, liver, duodenum, prostate, throat and even tongue. 

Our story is ultimately a happy one - the cancer hadn't spread anywhere and my mum never fell sick or suffered a single day through chemotherapy. Thank God. 

But this is not the norm. 

One of the chemotherapy drugs, epiribucin, used to treat breast cancer has been given the nickname 'the red devil' and strikes fear to many a woman's heart. These drugs are toxic and attacks healthy, living cells in their effort to destroy cancer cells. They are unable to differentiate between the good and the bad type of rapidly dividing cells. Side effects of chemotherapy is said to include vomiting, diarrohea, mouth ulcers, loss of appetite, weakness, neuropathy, anaemia, hair loss and reduces the body's ability to fight infection. To be diagnosed with cancer is bad enough, to have to deal with the treatment is, sometimes, even worse. 

More recently developed drugs, such as Abraxane, are more advanced and whilst attacking the  advanced form of the disease is also able to reduce the side effects experienced by the user. 

I believe that with more funding, vital research will be conducted leading to a discovery of better forms of drugs with minimal side effects to treat each type of cancer and of course, to ultimately beat this disease once and for all. 

My mother's a single parent and I am an only child. The threat of losing the most important person in my life was a shock that words can't describe - the emotional and physical trauma that cancer wreaks on our lives is enough to make me run 500K, if that means we can beat this disease.

But for now, my aim is to jog this 5K in under half hour (compared to my 50 minute walk in 2011) and to raise £2,000 in aid of Cancer Research.

I thank you in advance for your generosity!

Nare

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One day we will beat cancer. Help us make it sooner.