Hi everyone,

                       Firstly thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity...

 

The big scottish swim is a one mile open water event in Elie Fife on the 7th of August 2010.  It is organised and supported by Sue Ryder Care a charity that cares for people with end of life and long-term conditions such as cancer, strokes, brain injury, MS (multiple sclerosis), dementia, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease and motor neurone disease.

 

I like many have been effected by cancer I was lucky enough to catch cervical cancer very early on in its first stages so I did not have to suffer like my dad who lost his battle to throat cancer in 2006.  I like many young woman pulled faces at the thought of a smear test but I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid gland in my first year at university so was having my bloods taken regularly by the nurse so when I hit 20 there was no escaping it even now I pull faces at the thought of a smear test but if I had not been told by the nurse and my mum to go who knows what would have happened.. so i'm glad I did and I was lucky a visit to the hospital and I was fine for many like my dad, grandad and granny this wasn't the case and their treatment was not so easy as mine I found the treatment was worse than the cancer in their case.

 

My mum lives with rheumatoid arthritis a type of arthritis that attacks the small joints of the body. Diagnosed at an early age she has soldiered on and has been an inspiration to me and my sisters.

 

My fiance L/cpl Mathew Ford was killed in Afganistan in 2007 and in the summer of 2009 his mum my "mummy ford" suffered from a stroke.  Her recovery is on going and she always doing for others its amazing.

 

My friend Mandi who is like a little sister to me was diagnosed with lukemia and had not long had her bone marrow transplant she is doing fantastic back out on the town with the girls and the life and soul of the party.

 

It is for these very special people in my life that I am doing the one mile swim and it is for the same reasons that Sue Ryder Care provide 4 million hours of care that I am supporting the big scottish swim.

So please dig deep and donate now and thank you so much for your support :)