As many of you know 5 years ago, in February 2020, I was given the earth shattering news that I had cancer. I was only 36… my children were very young; just 7, 4 and 8 months old at the time and life as I knew it changed in an instant.

A month later the country went into lockdown, and navigating a cancer diagnosis became even more challenging for so many reasons. I had also found out that the bowel cancer had spread to my liver, meaning my diagnosis was stage 4 and harder to treat.

I went through gruelling chemotherapy & immunotherapy as well as bowel surgery and by the end of 2020 I had no evidence of disease and began to get my life back to some kind of ‘normal’.

The cancer has returned twice in my liver since then, once in Feb 2022 and again in May 2023… both times I underwent liver resections to remove the disease (the first liver surgery saw my gall bladder removed too.)

This is the VERY BRIEF summary as to explain the physical and mental anguish of all of this, plus trying to raise my children, work my business and of course LIVE my life, was (and still is) incredibly challenging at times. However, I have always maintained a positive attitude, which has helped me cope on my down days.

Despite this probably being the worst thing to happen to me, there are actually some positives which have come from this change of path for my life… the number one being the people I have met along the way that I wouldn’t have met otherwise! One person in particular my ‘Bowelie Bestie’ Rebecca Clarke aka Becks. She was the brainchild of our Kilimanjaro Trek which we completed in January 2022… just two years after we were both diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer & she has from day 1, always pushed me to do these things. To show cancer who is boss and most importantly to not be defined by the disease.

I am so much more than cancer. 🌵

Sooooo as I celebrate 5 years POST diagnosis (which as a stage 4 bowelie was a huge deal for me and something I always manifested achieving!) what better way than to book another trek to challenge myself AND raise money for a brilliant little charity who make such a difference to patients and people living with and after cancer.

Live Well With Cancer.

So… Seeing as I don’t do things by halves, I will be trekking across the Sahara Desert in October, on a week long excursion, with Becks. We will be walking a mere 100km of walking, in blistering temperatures- passing through valleys, gorges, plateaus, sand dunes and oases!

This is what Charity Challenge say when describing this trek…

Rediscover true adventure in the awe-inspiring Sahara Desert. 

“This five day trek covers 100km passing through Morocco’s forbidding landscape punctuated by peaks, gorges, dunes and oases. At night, sleep under Africa’s star strewn skies and enjoy traditional Berber hospitality. 

This challenge goes beyond the Jebel Saghro region, starting on the Maider El Kbir plateau, before ascending Jebel El Mrakib, and admiring the stunning views. Walking through palm gorges, the route joins the dry Rhris River and heads towards an oasis of tamarisk trees. The final days are spent trekking along the Tikertouachene River, before celebrating a successful end to the challenge in Ouarzazate.

This trek is challenging, unforgiving, and life-changing.”

It will be hard of course but with determination, training and the support of you all I know I can do this! I want to make my kids proud and show them, mammy is a friggin’ bad ass.

I would be so grateful for your donations to help me raise the amount I need for the charity!!! My goal is £2500 but really I would love to donate as much as I can!

So to help me celebrate this amazing 5 year milestone, and raise money for Live Well With Cancer, I would be so incredibly grateful for any sponsorship you can spare. I know I have fundraised several times in the past few years, for various charities, but just know your donations really do make a difference- especially with the smaller charities like this.

Sooo it’s real, its happening… eeek…

Sahara… i‘m coming for ya! 💪 🏜️🐪🌵