Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I am aiming to do 50 challenges for my 50th birthday  to raise money for Marie Curie community nurses, 

I have a few things lined up in the next year including a half marathon in New York on 17th March, the rest won't all be events but it will certainly be tough, I have either paid for events or had them donated I will keep updating everyone on Facebook and Instagram

In April 2016 step dad John was diagnosed with lung and pancreatic cancer, he was given 3 months to live, he had chemo which did help for 6 months,

We then we had found out the tumours had started to grow again so he was started on chemo again,

In the meantime my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer in June 17, she lost her battle in August 17 aged 67,

Dad John had to have chemo stopped at the end of Aug 17 due to loss of use of right side of his body and a scan revealed his cancer had spread to his liver, brain amongst other places,

We were devastated as we had only just lost mom , we did manage to get dad to Llandudno a couple of times which he loved but his last trip there in Jan 18 was to be his last,

He was starting to get really poorly, his care was round the clock 24/7 but we as a family we were pulling together and  managing, we had to sleep on the floor next to his bed and take it in turns with him as he was so poorly,

You don't realise normal things don't exist like having a bath, even making a drink as care was so full on but we had made the promise to dad he would pass away at home like mom had just before,

In dad's final 10 days we were offered a Marie curie nurse, she rang and gave us a time she would arrive, when she came the first thing she did was go and sit with dad talking to him even though he was asleep with the drugs  he had been given, I spent many hours talking to her and she listened whilst looking after dad at same time, she came a couple of times and I looked forward to seeing her and talking to her as life was not normal anymore mom, had passed and now we were losing dad,  it was a different nurse that came later that week and she had a very hard night with dad she gave me loads of hugs and explained dad would only be with us for a couple of days, she stayed with us a couple of hours passed the end of her shift as she would not leave dad till the district nurse could come,  she even rang me twice later that day to see how dad was, 

Without the Marie Curie nurses dad would of not been able to pass away peacefully at home on the 16th Feb 2108  aged 68,  with us and his brother, Rob, to whom he was very close too by his side ,

There was 6 months between him and mom but at least they are now reunited,  I know I can speak for all the family, we will be forever grateful to Marie curie home nurses.

It costs £20 an hour for a Marie curie nurse to help people like my step dad john, who have terminal cancer or illness, to have their wish to pass away at home and to help families cope at home, it's the hardest thing to go through mentally and physically and the family will have like ours, the chance to be there all the time and be supported,

Many thanks for your kind donations 

Please follow my journey at,

www.karens50at50.simplesite.com

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