I have decided to run my first ever half marathon following on from my sister, Sam, being diagnosed with Triple Negative, Stage 2 Breast Cancer.

At the age of 37, no one expects to hear to the words of “you have cancer”, especially not when they're 22 weeks pregnant with their first baby.

For those of you who don't know, Sam is currently undergoing treatment at The Royal Marsden. Due to the aggression of her cancer, waiting for the arrival of her baby before starting treatment isn't an option. Instead, she is undergoing a first cycle of Chemotherapy, the baby will then arrive. Sam is only allowed 2 short weeks without Chemotherapy after the baby's arrival before beginning a stronger and more intense Chemotherapy which will then be followed on by surgery and radiotherapy.

The plan can change, as the nature of the cancer is unpredictable.

I’ve attended Sam's appointments with her and I've been utterly astounded by The Marsden's level of care and professionalism, alongside the speed in which they’ve carried out assessments, biopsies, diagnosis and now treatment.

The Marsden have made heart wrenching news seem somehow bearable with their outstanding care team. As well as supporting Sam, they have and continue to support us, as a family, through every step of the way.

The care they’ve given so far has been nothing short of amazing and we know, on the journey Sam is embarking, unfortunately there’ll be many more visits to come.

This is where my Half Marathon comes in, I feel like it’s my time to give a little back, to a place that has given Sam and our family so much. I’m not a runner, but once in a while I like to set myself a little challenge … this time, I might have been a little over ambitious and I’ve signed myself up to do a half marathon in May. I want to raise money for The Royal Marsden.

I know the cost of everything has gone up, but if you could please sponsor me, no matter how big or small, I would be forever grateful. I would love to be able to raise some money so that the services that have helped and are continuing to help my family, can help someone else’s.

If you would like to follow along on my training journey and give some extra support, please do so on my Instagram page: @Jens_half_journey

If you’re still reading this, thank you for sticking with me …. I know it wasn’t a short read, but one final thing: Please, ladies and gents, check your breasts regularly and if you have any changes or doubts get yourself checked out!