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I am running the Paris Marathon on 3rd April 2016. While I have run the distance once before, I am hoping to run it faster this time in order to raise money for a cause that feels very close to me, EHE Rare Cancer Charity http://www.ehercc.org.uk  

Milly Simmie has been my friend for longer than I can remember. We grew up in the same village, were in the same class at school, went to the same university, still go on holiday together ... Last summer we both went back home to get married; the difference being that the day before Milly's wedding she was diagnosed with Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma (EHE), a rare form of cancer that causes sarcomas to form in the liver, lung, bone, lymph node, skin and other soft tissues. They can occur in multiple sites simultaneously.

EHE is extremely rare and, at the moment, there is no cure. In fact, so little is known about it that there is no treatment plan. While this initially sounds bleak, EHE can be 'indolent', meaning that it does not grow aggressively for an unspecified length of time. Until more is known about EHE, it is impossible to know when this will change. As a rare cancer, EHE receives almost no funding outside of that raised by sufferers, their families and their friends.

EHE Rare Cancer Charity aims to help fund research into this disease as well as to raise awareness of it. The way in which Milly and her husband, Alastair, have thrown themselves into helping fundraise for this charity has been truly inspiring. She tells her story far better than I do and, if you would like to read further, her story, in her own words, can be found on the charity's website.

While EHE is very rare, sarcomas, of which EHE is one type, make up 10% of cancers and research undertaken into EHE could have wider reaching implications for other cancer sufferers.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.