If you were diagnosed tomorrow with a cancer that had a survival rate of less than 15% you may feel scared, shocked, frightened for the future.

The likelihood is you would worry about those you may leave behind, making memories would probably be high on your agenda.

Shockingly there is no research into what the palliative care of those young people who are diagnosed with cancers with this prognosis should look like. It means that all too often people don’t know what their choices are and medical teams are left wondering how to balance the risks whilst allowing people to truly live.

Capture aims to change that by funding research into what young people want out of palliative care, producing information that those diagnosed can be given and guidelines and training for medical teams into ensuring people get to make the most out of the life they lead.

A short life can still be an incredible one.

This August, we will be taking part in Marathon Your Way In A Month to make sure as many young people as possible get the palliative care they deserve by covering 26 miles over 31 days. Mateo is determined to top this - and having completed 5.5 miles on day one including a mile and a half of swimming (100 lengths), 2.5 miles of running and 1.5 miles of cycling - it’s looking as though he is on track to complete far more than the minimum number. I’m working through the couch to 5k. I’ve only ever managed to week three but with Mateo (my mini slave driver) by my side I’m determined to complete the six week programme within the next four weeks. If Liz could play tennis in a month where she needed 20 blood transfusions we are determined to do this for future Lizs.

We know so many of you have supported us already, but Mateo was desperate to have his own Just Giving page when he saw me setting up the others for the challenge, so if you can please consider sponsoring him - even small amounts add up - or joining us on our Marathon In A Month Your Way mission.

For those who don’t know our story. This piece of research matters a lot to us because in November last year, we lost Liz (our daughter and Mateo’s beloved big sister to cancer). Liz died aged 17 just 10 months after being diagnosed with Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumour, a rare and aggressive sarcoma with only a 15% survival rate. Although her life was short, Liz crammed so many memories into her final months, taking trips with us and and taking photographs right up until the very end of her life. She even met the Prince and Princess of Wales. None of this could have happened without the bravery her medical team showed in letting Liz Live. We hope this research will help other medical teams give their patients the same chance to make memories with their families. Memories that now sustain us every single day.

You can sign up to Marathon In A Month Here: https://form.typeform.com/to/KajKdqms

Or find out more about Capture’s work on Instagram or X via @CaptureDSRCTC or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/people/Capture-Desmoplastic-Small-Round-Cell-Tumour-Charity/61575831703759/

Together we can make a difference to people facing the unimaginable.