On May 1st 2011, I'm running the 13.5 mile Keswick Half-Marathon around Derwentwater in the Lake District. It certainly isn't the flattest route; however, I'm itching to do it for this excellent cause. I'm giving myself two months to train, and hopefully the atmosphere and crowd will spur me on, as I'm not exactly the fittest fiddle at the moment!

 

I'm raising money for a charity that is really personal and close to my heart. I lost my Grandad in May 2010 to thyroid cancer, so I have chosen to do this half-marathon a year after his death. Grandad had a horrendous year suffering from advanced stage 4 thyroid cancer, and unfortunately the disease was caught too late. He was in a lot of pain constantly and it was crushing to see the devastating effects of this disease on someone you love so much. Grandad was told that he could have had this disease for a decade or two, which is astonishing and terrifying as it showed no symptoms until the final year of his life. He was only 66 years old and losing him has devastated my family and made the year incredibly difficult.

 

I am raising money for the Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust, which is the only registered charity in the UK dedicated solely to the support of people affected by thyroid cancer. The charity was set up by a wonderful lady from Newcastle upon Tyne, after suffering from the disease herself. Everyone involved with the charity works on a voluntary basis and has either had the disease or been closely involved in the care and support of someone who has. They are a patient support organisation working closely alongside, and have the full support of, the Multi-Disciplinary Thyroid Cancer Care Team in Newcastle upon Tyne - a team who supported and tried to save my Grandad for almost a year.

 

The charity can offer thyroid cancer patients and their families use of the dedicated helpline to speak to someone who has had the disease, provides an e-mail and telephone contact network with group members to share experiences, provides a "Buddy" to help you through the stages of surgery, radioiodine treatment and follow up, access to reliable up-to-date written information about the disease and access to a group member in clinic at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care (NCCC), Freeman Hospital, Newcastle.

 

The Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust is fantastically unique in being able to offer on-site clinical support to thyroid cancer patients from a fellow patient. And although my Grandad didn't beat his disease, thyroid cancer has an encouraging cure rate if it is caught and treated early. If the money or awareness that I'm trying to raise from my fundraising can save just one patient, who may be a child, a parent, or grandparent, that will be a silver lining after losing my wonderful Grandad Jim.

 

Please dig deep to give as much as you can to this fabulous charity. I
will be eternally grateful and will run like I have never run before!

 

Thank you for reading this,

Love Charlotte xx