When Joanne passed away, I was stricken with utter grief at the huge loss of someone so lovely and kind. She was poorly, I knew that, the cancer was terminal, I knew that too, but coming to terms with her death was difficult for me in many ways, she was a month older than me, a few short months away from her 40th birthday, she had two teenage children and a loving husband.

Although we didn't see eachother for many years, we kept in touch, she meant so much to me in many ways.....we met whilst at college and quickly became friends, inseparable, her mum kind of adopted me as a surrogate child, I was always welcome. Jo supported me through some tough times whilst we were younger, she listened to me, wiped my tears, was my drinking partner, my sister, my family when I needed one the most! So when she passed away at such a young age, I cried, I won't lie, I cried like a baby, all those past years flooding through my mind like they were yesterday.

Joanne's death inspired me to make an assertive decision to lead a more healthier life, lose weight, get fit and do things I would never imagine doing, to live life to the full....and here I am nearly two years down the line, six stone down, the fittest I've ever been, I passed my driving test, various other things that scaredy cat Anita would previously never have done to this, my biggest challenge ever, 52km around the Peak District, it's not going to be easy, I realise this but it will be worth it to raise a little money for Myton Hospices. After asking Paul (Jo's husband) if this would be ok, he told me Myton is where Jo spent some time during her illness, enjoyed days out, it was somewhere she could spend time with other terminally ill people and come to terms with her own illness. So the decision for choosing Myton Hospices as a specific charity to raise funds for was a no brainer!

So I ask a little favour of you, my lovely friends and family, that you donate as little or as much as you can to a) to help me honour my friend Joanne's memory b) to help this wonderful cause and c) to help give me that little kick up the backside to get me through this mega challenge I've set myself. I appreciate your time in reading this and I thank you in advance for any donations you may give. Please read on to learn what The Myton Hospices do for people like my lovely friend Joanne. 

Many Thanks. Anita.x

 The Myton Hospices we believe that everyone matters for every single moment of their life; we focus on enhancing life when cure is no longer an option. We are leaders in compassionate end of life care; our work centres on our patients and involving them in decisions about their care. Perhaps most importantly we give them more quality time with their loved ones.Last year we supported more than 1,800 people and their families, in our three hospices, via our patient & family support services, and in the community through Myton at Home.