Miles walked to date (09/1/2009): 500
Miles to go: 0!!!!

Thank you so much to everyone who has sponsored me.

Both my brother, Ian, and a very close friend, Bev, have both been diagnosed with cancer. I tried to think of something I could do to raise money, involve other people and do something that coincided with the time my brother is enduring his first lot of treatment.

There was an article which stated that walking 500 miles a year was a healthy amount to walk. I decided that I would attempt to achieve this in 6 months. This doesn't sound very much but with a sedentary job and busy family life it is quite an effort to fit in the 19+ miles a week that I need to do to achieve my target. I only include miles I actually walk outside (I do not include any walking I do in the office, at home or just down to the shops and back). I also try and do charity events that I sponsor myself on e.g. I sponsored my husband and I £50 towards MacMillan, when we walked the 22mile MacMarathon in Gower. In order to get my miles in I have started taking the dog out at 5:40 in the morning which he isn't very happy about.

I started this challenge on 26th July and I invited others to join me. Some people have and are giving a donation, and others have said they will sponsor me, and I am very grateful to them all.

As it is only possible to have 1 charity per page I have created two sites. They are

http://www.justgiving.com/iwouldwalk500miles
and
http://www.justgiving.com/andiwouldwalk500more

The first site (this site) is in aid of Lymphoma. This is a very common cancer that affects the lymph nodes. My brother unfortunately was at quite an advanced stage of the illness when it was diagnosed. Ian has been cared for extremely well by all the staff at Dartford hospital and I hope the money raised at this site will in some way  repay them for their excellent care.

The second site is in aid of Amyloidosis. Bev was diagnosed with this illness in August. Amyloidosis is a disease caused by deposition of abnormal insoluble protein fibres in the tissues and organs of the body, damaging their structure and function. Almost any part of the body can be affected so the clinical signs and symptoms vary greatly, making the diagnosis difficult for general physicians and even specialists who usually have not seen many cases. Amyloidosis is a rare but not vanishingly rare condition. There is no specific and generally effective treatment although a range of different approaches can significantly prolong survival.

I think the names of my sites sum up how I feel, and I would walk 5000 miles if I could make them better.


Thanks for visiting my fundraising page.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Lymphoma Research Trust gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!