I have been affected by Cancer one too many times. I have been meaning to do this for many years, but have been putting it off. Just because I could! In the year of 2013, the man upstairs gave me a firm wake up call and reminded me that "tomorrow isn't guaranteed!"

At the age of 17, a cousin of mine was diagnosed with a rare form of Cancer. The doctors were completely thrown by the form he had because "it was a cancer of the elderly". We were very close. I was heartbroken when I was given the news that he was not going to live. Sure enough, two years later he died. He fought all the way and kept us in high spirits throughout his illness despite the pain and suffering he was experiencing. This was to be the first real encounter I had with Cancer. The effects were devastating for his immediate family and for all of his close friends and family friends.

A few years later, my grandfather was diagnosed with Prostrate Cancer. The deadly disease was getting closer and closer to home. My grandfather fought a long hard battle in the same way that I had seen my cousin do just a few years before. Determined to beat it! He almost did as the story goes, but early 2010, he too passed away. Cancer had taken two very close members of my life away from me. To make matters worse, my aunt died of Cancer not long after (I believe it to be the same year). 

In July 2013, my 9 year old brother and 7 year old sister lost their dad, also to terminal Prostrate Cancer. Still young and not really understanding what had happened, they had lots of questions to ask us. "Why him?" "Why couldn't they save our dad?" I saw Cancer once again charging into the lives of the people I loved and causing destruction that is almost irreparable. I thought long and hard about the answers to their questions and the truth is....there isn't one that would give sufficient gratification.

Hoping for a break from Cancer and its whirlwind of disrepair, I was taken aback when my 23 yr old sister - the person I share 50% of my genes with - left work one day with the belief that she had had a heavy period, and ended up in A&E that night. Only to be told that she had Leukaemia, blood cancer. Cancer had arrived and was knocking ferociously on the front door!

What's more....had she not have followed our instructions to go the hospital, she would have died of excessive blood loss that very night, leaving my two nieces behind. The next few months were to be the toughest in my life. It mimicked so intensely the experience I had had with my cousin, so many years earlier. She didn't leave the hospital for 34 days and she battled and fought like never before. She's now a survivor. The first one I have experienced and as for my nieces - they still have their mother. If it wasn't for Cancer Research, she wouldn't have had the speedy diagnosis and intensive treatment that she was given.

So...in my view, it's about time that we all Stand Up to Cancer. I'm making that first step and Racing for Life. I'd appreciate it if you sponsored me in doing so :-)

Events like Race for Life are vital in funding Cancer Research UK's life-saving work into preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer. By sponsoring me, we can unite and create a force that cancer can't ignore.

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