Firstly, thank you so much for clicking on my page and supporting me in this challenge to run my first half marathon. I love to run... 5K, maybe 10K but all too often I have been a fair-weather runner and fallen off the wagon. I want to challenge myself by committing to training for and completing a half-marathon whilst raising money for a cause that is so dear to my heart.

For those who don't know my story, my Dad got diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018 and by 2019 it had spread and he was referred to the in-patient unit at Jersey Hospice Care where he stayed for around 5 weeks until we sadly lost him. None of us knew what to expect at the hospice but they were amazing from the moment Dad arrived to the day he passed. The staff, the volunteers, the facilities, and even the atmosphere - it felt like such a positive environment despite everything.

I never expected I would be returning to Jersey Hospice Care so soon with Mum in 2020 when she also became ill with cancer. We all know losing our parents is inevitable but to lose them so quickly and so close together, especially after they had been very fit and healthy up to that point was shocking and extremely tough to deal with. I found the strength to cope through the support of my family, friends, and colleagues, and I also had help from the Bereavement team at Jersey Hospice who organised counseling sessions and offered ongoing support should I need it. 

I am truly grateful for the support I received from Jersey Hospice Care throughout such a difficult couple of years and now I would like to give something back to this amazing charity by taking on the half-marathon challenge and raising some money for them! 

Jersey Hospice Care is a specialist palliative care service and the island’s only hospice, providing holistic care for patients with any life-limiting condition. Jersey Hospice Care is an independent charity and makes no charge to patients. It costs over £20,000 a day to run the charity’s services. Funding for their care services is thanks to the generosity of Islanders. They are here for the community because of the community. Without the continued support and generous donations, this wouldn’t be possible.