Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

As you are aware, I've witnessed the work that Dorothy House do first hand. My Auntie, Louise McDermott, was treated and looked after at Dorothy House for many months at the start of 2013, and spent her final few days there in July 2013, where she sadly lost her battle with cancer. 

It's difficult to explain in words how amazing the people who looked after her are, and the care they gave her. The Dorothy House staff treated Louise with nothing but the upmost respect. Even when she had passed away, I couldn't have asked for her to have had better care.

My Auntie was simply incredible. I miss her, every minute of every day, and I hate the fact she's not here anymore. It really eats me up on many occasions. I've learned to get used to the fact that she's not around. But I don't think I'll ever get over it. She was one of those people who were 'one in a million', and she is missed dearly by so many. She is, and always will, be my inspiration. 

Since she passed away in July 2013, I've become a proud ambassador of Dorothy House, and I'm lucky enough to have become friends with some of the staff members, who are, quite frankly, inspirational people – the absolute salt of the earth. I try to pop up and see them as much as I can, and I've managed to raise a bit of money for them doing a few fundraisers here and there over the last few years. They offer so much to myself, my family and the whole community when it comes to aftercare, etc. For example, they hold many memorial services for EVERYBODY at what might be difficult times of the year for people and they host coffee mornings, etc, for people to meet others in the same position. The work they do is second-to-none and it's something money cant buy. They care for families who've lost loved ones, as well as people with terminal illnesses. 

What you may not know, is that, sadly, Dorothy house only receives a quarter of its funding from the Government, so it relies massively on donations. It costs £7000 per day to keep the facility running, so they need every bit of help they can get.

So, to raise money for them this year, I've decided to run the Bath Half (AGAIN!!), but this time with a twist. The half marathon is on Sunday 12th March, so on the same weekend, the Saturday, I will also row a half marathon at my training ground, Crossfit Bath.

As many of you will know, I despise any distant running, so this will be tough for me. Yes, I train a fair bit, but this will still be a tough physical challenge. In the past, I've put my body through some pretty brutal challenges to raise money for my charity, but that doesn't mean this one will be any easier. As the body is getting older and more battered these days. It's going to be a struggle and a big mental test, but it'll be worth the pain to try to raise money for this amazing cause. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Please feel free to donate whatever you can to help raise as much as possible for these amazing people so they can continue to support people in real times of need. Every penny really does help. 

Eamo

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