Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

In August 2017, my Dad was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. 

From a routine appointment to a diagnosis, he was put on a journey of operations, radiotherapy and chemo. As a family, we witnessed firsthand how brutal and life-changing this relatively unknown (but rapidly growing) type of cancer is. Throughout the whole of his treatment, my Dad has been nothing other than brave, positive and determined to beat it, despite many setbacks along the way. 

It was difficult for us to know what to say or what to do and on some days, my Dad was so exhausted and in so much pain there was very little we could do at all anyway. Coping with Cancer, a charity based in the North East dedicated to providing support to those affected by the disease, helped my Dad, and many others, during some of these bad days. They offer massages, acupuncture and counselling among other things to Cancer patients at all stages of their journey. Coping with Cancer managed to cheer him up and they do the same for lots of people in similar situations. 

The main reason I'm running to raise money for this charity as it is important to consider support for the mental affects that Cancer has on people as well as the physical. Also, as a local charity, I'd like to raise awareness for the amazing work that they do. We were lucky in the sense that my Dad has a very good prognosis and is making a great recovery. However, others rely on support from the charity during palliative care and I couldn't imagine how challenging that role must be.

Running the Great North Run is going to be a massive challenge so please donate. I only really started running last year and, if I'm honest, running a 5k has me shattered; it's going to be hard work training! If you can spare anything at all, please give a little.

Thank you!:)

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.