3 days before Christmas my auntie - gran, mum, chef, cleaner, memory maker, shoulder to cry on, advice giver, tour guide, best friend, even play horse - was snatched from me and this world by melanoma (cancer in the brain.) 

Anna or just "auntie" to everyone who knew her was the kindest most heart warming person I knew! She could light up a full room with that one smile! Everyone who knew her spoke the best of her and up until her final days, she was the most independent woman I knew. 

"Be careful" They said. "You won't recognise her" They said. "The melanoma has spread so fast her full body has swollen up" They said. "She can't speak or hear" They said. 

"Okay whatever" I said. "Don't be so silly of course I'll recognise her" I said. "I was here only a few hours ago having the cake I made her and laughing about getting her out the ward and home" I said. "Ill recognise her, she's my best friend" I said...

"Excuse me, nurse! Where is Anna Livingstone?" I said... A youthful point to an old, swollen, unrecognisable, motionless, senseless lady was my response. I could not believe the effect the cancer had overnight! I ran over to her bed, where I grabbed her hand. She could not speak, hear, see or.. Anything!

3 long hours I was there.. Forcing the words "I love you" to mumble from her mouth because "I knew".. Knew it would be the last thing she ever said to me - and I was right. I left the hospital that evening knowing cancer was eating away at my best friend and it was going to win.. 6 hours later, it did. 

This time last year I would be lucky if I could run over 2 minutes without stopping gasping for breath, now I am going to run non-stop the full 5k in under 25 minutes and help raise as much awareness and funding toward a cure to cancer. Every little help counts and this is my bit. 

xo