We found out dad had lung cancer in April 2011. Although slow at first, by October he was noticeably very ill, in November he had a series of falls and following diagnosis that the cancer had pretty much spread everywhere, was admitted to the hospice where he died 7 weeks later; moving on at midday Jan 17th 2012.

Reflecting back the most noticeable thing about the last 9 months of dads was life was his incredible dignity. There was no fuss, no anger, just quiet acceptance, grace and total assurance of what was next after this life. He made sure as best he could that his family didn't get dragged through death with him.

I want to run in honour of that. (See my blog about dad here)

He couldn't, of course, do this on his own. I don't know how we would have got through if it wasn't for the incredible care of the Hospice at Clatterbridge and that provided by the MacMillan Nurses.

The NHS is an amazing service but a family desperately needs the wider support provided by MacMillan - people who will sit with you, tell you what's to come, allow you to process and help you with the practical matters. In my case it was also amazing to have the assurance that my mum was being looked after too (while I still needed to work and look after a heavily pregnant wife and a 2 year old)

I want to raise as much money as I can in being part of Team MacMilan.

Please dig deep guys. Cancer is indiscrimate. In the words of my cousin: "As a Finch man, you take certain things for granted: you won't lose your hair, you'll be active and live well into your 80's and you won't get cancer". My dad died at 76, riddled with cancer. A body builder at one time he died pretty much skeletal, having not been able to walk for weeks and not talk for the last week.

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