Dedham Vale Mighty Hike in Memory of Timothy Francis and Margaret Snelling
Lindsay Francis is raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support
In memory of Timothy Francis
Story
In February 2021, our family lost Margaret Rose Snelling and Timothy Needham Francis. They died within three days of each other, both due to cancer.
On 31 July, my three children and I will hike 26 miles through Suffolk's Dedham Vale, to raise money for Macmillan. Both Margaret and Timothy required palliative care and specialist support at the end of their lives. Macmillan provides specialist health care and information to people affected by cancer. This charity is especially important to us as Macmillan palliative care nurses directly cared for Timothy in his final days.
Margaret was a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother. Her career had been as a special needs teacher, and she had a very wide circle of friends. She was fun to be with and had a lot of interests. When she was diagnosed with incurable cancer of the bile duct, she maintained a positive outlook and kept in touch as much as possible with her family and friends throughout her illness.
Timothy died within only 9 days of having been diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma of an unknown primary which had spread to his bone marrow and lymph glands. He was only 54. His influence on his children's lives was great. He was immensely funny, a highly knowledgeable lawyer, cared greatly for those around him, and believed in showing compassion to all. His strong faith in God carried him through difficult times.
We miss Margaret and Timothy enormously, but we hope to honour their memories by raising money for Macmillan, so that they can continue to provide healthcare and support for other cancer sufferers.
A few words from Macmillan: "Thanks for supporting our fundraising. At Macmillan, we give people with cancer everything we’ve got. If you’re diagnosed, your worries are our worries. We’re doing whatever it takes. But without your help we can’t support everyone who needs us. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them 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."