My beloved Stepmother passed away from cancer on the 5th Febuary 2015. She was a mother, a friend, an auntie, a good christian and one of the most inspiring and dignified women that you will ever meet. It’s been especially hard because she left life at the age of 50, an age that really she should have started to enjoy some of life’s pleasures that she put on hold to raise her kids. She is sadly not the first family member that I have lost to cancer, it also took my dad’s life – 10 years ago next month. Cancer is the one disease that seems not to respect age, creed, or lifestyle. My stepmother was somebody who exercised, didn’t drink or smoke yet it wasn’t enough to prevent her developing breast cancer. A sentence that I have heard often throughout this difficult period, is “it’s not fair”. For two years I watched her battle the disease with courage and strength and even during her last days she never gave up fighting for her right to live. Now she’s gone and we are only left with memories that I will forever treasure until we meet again.

Cancer may have claimed the lives of those I love but it hasn’t taken away my hope. Seeing first hand what treatments are available made me despair. More needs to be done so that other people don’t suffer the same fate.

The grief is still fresh for me and my family but I’m finding a way to channel it in a positive way to hopefully help others. In her memory I have signed up to run in Cancer Research UK’s blogger team and run in the Race For life 10k in Hyde Park this July. Just thinking about it right now is scary! I haven’t run in years but I’m determined to do it not only in her memory but also to hopefully raise a bit of money to go to helping Cancer research UK fund more treatments which might help someone I know beat the disease or catch it before it develops.

I'm joining Cancer Research UK's Race for Life this year. Please join the fight by digging deep and sponsoring me - it's quick, easy and totally secure.

Events like this are vital in funding Cancer Research UK's life-saving work into preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer. By sponsoring me, we can unite and create an army that cancer can't ignore. By sponsoring me, we will beat cancer sooner.

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Sponsor me now, and help me show cancer that hell hath no fury like a woman in pink.