I have signed myself up to run to Reading Half Marathon on Sunday 23rd March 2025!

I will be doing this for the charity Young Lives VS Cancer in memory of my younger cousins Emily and Olivia🩷

Emily was taken in under emergency care in October 2016 as she started losing the ability to walk. We found out she had an aggressive cancer growing from an embryonal tumour in her pineal gland and the cancer had spread to her spine. Emily went through treatment that broke our hearts to watch, she was given the all clear during some months to then find out her cancer was back at the end of October 2018 and there was nothing that could be done. Emily was given a month left and after searching for alternate therapies, Emily sadly passed away November 29th 2018 aged 5 and our family felt torn apart by this tragedy.

Olivia was admitted to hospital February 2023 after having headaches and sickness episodes which were rapidly getting worse, she was then transferred to Oxford for Specialist care where she had undergone Major Brain Surgery to have a biopsy taken. We were told Olivia had a Brain Tumour - Medulloblastoma which had began to travel down her spine. After undergoing treatment we was again told Olivia had the all clear for a couple of months. At the beginning of September 2024, we was told Olivia’s cancer had come back and had months left. But after many complications, Olivia sadly passed on September 18th 2024 aged 8, just barely over 2 weeks since being told she had months left😔

Our family again has been left heartbroken, never did we think this was going to be on our life journeys once let alone twice in the space of such little time. Emily and Olivia showed nothing but bravery and strength throughout their years of battling cancer and have given me nothing but gratitude and inspiration to carry on as their older cousin. There are so many things left undone between us that cousins are supposed to do together, everyday I miss you little ladies more and more. I’m so proud to be apart of your journeys and for us to be family forever.

Please feel free to share this post and help to donate towards Young Lives VS Cancer for my half marathon. I know you girlies will be with me and have sent me so many signs to let me know you’re still beside me🩷

Emily and Olivia, I will never stop doing things in your memory, until we meet again🕊️🤍