Last year my family's lives were turned upside down when my mum was diagnosed with melanoma, commonly known as skin cancer. My mum. The rock of our family who always stays in the shade, who always uses sunscreen and who has never touched a sunbed in her life.

We watched helpless as she deteriorated waiting for the go ahead for treatment. She had the initial treatment and appeared to be getting better until April when we found out that the treatment had stopped working and the cancer was growing again.

It's thanks to the work of Cancer Research that our story does not end there.

The work that Cancer Research UK has done meant that when mum stopped her initial treatment she was able to start another treatment straight away and continue fighting. A treatment that had only been in the trial phase just months before. Thanks to more trials that Cancer Research has been running it means that if, god forbid, the current course of treatment stops working then there are more options available for mum and she can carry on fighting.

But my mum isn't alone in her plight. There are thousands more like her battling melanoma and  more still battling other types of cancer.

This year I'm joining Cancer Research's Race for Life Muddy Run along with a group of lovely colleagues to raise money for this charity that funds research into this and other types of cancer. Please help me to reach our fundraising target, and perhaps even beyond, so that this amazing charity can continue to help people like my mum to continue their fight.

Together we CAN make a real difference.

Don't forget to add Gift Aid

If you're a UK taxpayer, please remember to tick the Gift Aid box as this will increase your donation by at least 25% at no extra cost to you.

Sponsor me now, and help me show cancer that hell hath no fury like a woman in pink.