As someone who has personally experienced the effects of cancer I know how important it is to have support during such a difficult time. Macmillan Cancer Support provides everything they’ve got to help those diagnosed with cancer. But they can't do it alone. That's why I'm asking for your help in reaching my fundraising goal of £500. With your donation, we can ensure that Macmillan can continue to provide vital support to those who need it most.

By donating through JustGiving, you can make a difference in the lives of those affected by cancer. It's simple, fast and secure - your details are safe with JustGiving and they'll never sell them or send unwanted emails. Your donation will go directly to Macmillan Cancer Support, making it the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs.

Join me in supporting this incredible cause and let's make a difference together!

I know that the story I have set out below is long but please take the time to read it:

On 13 April 2024, along with 13 family members, I will be taking on the Dare Skywalk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium while fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support. I won’t say that I am afraid of heights because, generally, I am not. The thought of stepping out onto a glass walkway 46.8 metres above the pitch at Spurs does make my stomach flip though! Even making the climb up to this level could prove a bit of a challenge, depending on whether I’m having a good day or a not so good day. So, why are we fundraising for Macmillan?

Following routine screening in October 2022 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and since then I have received support from Macmillan in many different ways, whether from the Macmillan Nurses who have been there every step of the way; from the advice and resource hub at the treatment centre; through regular emails offering information and support and, more recently, through the provision of counselling when I needed help to make sense of a myriad of emotions that I was experiencing.

When I received the diagnosis all of the indications were that the cancer had been found at an early stage and that surgery and radiotherapy, followed by 5 years of hormone therapy, was the only treatment required. It was daunting but I considered myself lucky and approached my treatment with pragmatism and positivity. Little did I know that this was the precursor to a year which brought some extreme lows, but also some highs that I could never have dreamed of.

After surgery it was recommended that I should have chemotherapy. It was described as ‘belt and braces’ but I didn’t want to regret not giving myself the best chance of a positive long term outcome and so, with very little hesitation, decided to go ahead. Chemotherapy was tough but I had incredible support from my husband, John, and other family and friends, as has been the case throughout. So chemotherapy dominated February to June and then July 2023 brought radiotherapy which finished on 14th. Feeling elated to have finished treatment John and I spent a weekend planning some long delayed trips to visit family. Two days later I was, unfortunately, in A&E with a suspected pulmonary embolism and, following a CT scan, was told that there was something suspicious on my liver which required further investigation. This turned out to be incurable metastatic breast cancer, confirmed to me the day before my 67th birthday. I began treatment in October last year and, although it hasn’t been without challenges and bumps in the road, and it is early days, so far it seems to be halting further disease progression. I remain pragmatic and feel that all I can do is deal with the situation I find myself in, but it isn’t always easy.

You would be right to think that most of what I’ve described so far could be considered as low points. So what of the highs? The day after my trip to A&E I received the first of many letters from my daughter, Sarah, who had been adopted 48 years ago. I had thought of her often but, as the years went by, had given up hoping that she might try to make contact with me. To have her in my life now is bittersweet. Getting to know Sarah has been wonderful in every way but I fervently wish that we had more time ahead of us to make memories. We have, though, crammed a lot of catching up into a very short space of time, including spending precious time together ( challenging in itself as we live 200 miles apart!), sharing stories about the intervening years, and I have also started to get to know my wonderful son-in-law, Matt, and my two beautiful grandchildren. Sarah is caring and compassionate and she has welcomed John and me into her family. She has been a source of strength and support over the past few months and, on 13 April, as well as meeting her aunts, uncles and cousins for the first time, she and Matt will be by my side, encouraging and inspiring me, as we take on the Dare Skywalk challenge together.