Update 12.07.23.  

Hey all.. as many of you are aware, we have our RunNorwich 10k coming up this Sunday 16th July 2023. We had been training for it to raise funds for our wonderful Michelle, and Research ALK+, in the hope that wonders would be worked for Mich, and that she’d have many more years with us.. devastatingly, she had to leave this realm far sooner than we hoped or could have imagined.. any funds left that would have gone towards treatment, will now go to two of the most special people in Michelle’s world.. the apple of her eye & son, Albert (my very special nephew), and her loving & supportive partner of 23 years, Matt; to help support them in the coming months, as they adjust to this life without Michelle. If you would like to contribute, this can be done here  or at https://gofund.me/0da347e3

 Many thanks to all who have been an incredible support in a huge number of ways. None of it has gone unnoticed, and we’ll forever be grateful ❤️🌈✨

Please wish luck to Javi, Kelly, Ryan and myself for this Sunday’s RunNorwich 10k!

Original message: 

In the May of 2020, my very awesome sister, Michelle, was diagnosed with with lung cancer.. Upon testing, it was found to be stage IV ALK+ NSCLC Lung cancer. It was in her lung, had spread to her brain, and possibly to her liver. 

Michelle began her first line treatment, and has since also needed radiotherapy to both her brain and lung when there was been some progression. Radiotherapy to the brain is thought to have caused inflammation to over half her brain, too, resulting in steroid treatment over the last few months, whilst they decide whether brain surgery is needed. 

Research into ALK+ lung cancer has come some way over the last decade. We desperately need it to push forward so that more research can be carried out for better outcomes and that hopefully, a cure may be found. Due to lung cancer mistakenly being perceived as self-inflicted, due to associations with smoking, it is horrendously underfunded in comparison to many other cancers.  The reality is that ALK+ lung cancer is caused by a genetic mutation, meaning that ANYONE with lungs can get lung cancer. The most commonly affected are younger, female never-smokers; though as mentioned, anyone can get this cancer. 

Michelle is currently on a TKI drug as treatment, as well as using complementary therapies alongside. She is doing her utmost to look after herself all round, and live each day to the full with Matt and their little boy, Albert. As well as raising funds for research, which will go to Research ALK+, funds are also being raised for treatment for Michelle, so that this can be tackled from every angle possible; be it IV treatments, herb extracts, drug treatments, clinical trials if necessary, and whatever else might be needed. Research ALK+ have agreed to pass half the fundraising back to Michelle’s personal treatment.

Any penny you can spare and donate to our fundraiser will be so very gratefully received. 

With regards to what Javi and I are actually doing to raise funds, and hopefully get donations rolling in, it’ll be the Run Norwich 10k..! Javi used to run a fair bit, but has just gotten back into it after many a year’s break. As for me… I used to do a little running in the gym, and recently realised this was pre-twins..! This means over a decade ago on the treadmill, and I’ve never hit 10k 🤣 Back then, in my 20’s, I was told to stop running by physio, due to my dodgy knees.. So far, to build up slowly and strengthen support to those knees, I have joined a Couch to 5k with my new Norfolk neighbour, Kelly! I’m building towards that 5k, but have already booked July 16th’s Run Norwich 10k, as we are determined to raise funds for this incredibly worthy cause. 

Please join us on this journey, help to encourage us, and if you are able, donate to help us reach our target