On April 21st I will be running the London Marathon in memory of my friend Jess Brady, who died aged 27, just 3 weeks after a late cancer diagnosis. I'd love for you to support me by raising some money for the Jessica Brady CEDAR (Cancer Early Diagnosis Awareness Research) Trust to improve the awareness and diagnosis of cancer in young adults.

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2023-11-14/how-many-more-like-jess-family-calls-for-change-after-daughters-death

https://www.change.org/p/jess-s-law-improve-the-awareness-and-diagnosis-of-cancer-in-young-adults

2024 got off to a wild start as I found out I unexpectedly have a spot in the London Marathon! With less than 14 weeks left to prepare for the big day, 26.2miles seems a formidable task to get both my mind & body around. I’m not obliged to fundraise in order to run, but it seems a perfect opportunity to raise money for a charity close to my heart - and the much needed extra motivation to get me outside training on these cold dark evenings after work, keep me away from the pub, and most importantly to get me to the finish line on the big day!

Brady will always be a core part of my uni experience, immediately bonding over a shared name, passion for creative fancy dress, and an insatiable appetite for tea and/or 2for1 cocktails. The type of friend you could count on, always the first to spot someone going through a rough patch, knowing exactly what to say/do to get you smiling. Brady was always there for you when you needed her. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for her experience with GPs, at the time she needed them the most they were not there for her. They let her down.

Jess had been ill for over 6 months, diagnosed by GPs over the phone as suffering from Long Covid despite two negative coronavirus tests. On 26th November 2020 she was finally diagnosed with stage 4 adenocarcinoma, and due to her dependency on oxygen from this date she never returned home. It had spread throughout her body, to her spine, liver, stomach, lungs and lymph nodes and she passed away just 3 weeks later.

Like millions of people across the world, myself included, when isolation struck in 2020 Brady turned to running as a new found way to get outside and stay connected with nature. Over the last 3 years, I’ve had a complicated relationship with running but through sheer bloody mindedness have grown to love the peace and mindlessness it brings. Unfortunately Brady wasn’t granted the time to discover if she too would learn to love running, so - Brady, I run this marathon for you <3

https://jessicabradycedartrust.org.uk/

Adults aged 25-49 contribute around 1/10th of all new cancer cases, with double the incidence in females than males. Currently, this age group is not prioritized although many cancers are aggressive and require immediate treatment. They are often an overlooked age group, too old for their diagnosis to be truly shocking and too young to be deemed at serious risk.

The money raised for the Jessica Brady CEDAR Trust will fund campaigns directed at medical professionals in primary care, increasing awareness of the incidence of cancer for people in their 20s - 40s.

The petition for “Jess’s Law - to improve the awareness and diagnosis of cancer in young adults”, which has so far gained over 321,000 signatures. This support has helped Jess's parents, Andrea & Simon, secure meetings with the Secretary of State for Health & Social care, the Chair of The Royal College of GPs, and an adjournment debate discussing Jess’ Law in parliament.

Even £5 or £10 will go a long way to helping Andrea & Simon continue their work with the Department of Health & Social Care, and if you can’t donate please do sign the petition below so we can continue gathering support for this cause.

https://www.change.org/p/jess-s-law-improve-the-awareness-and-diagnosis-of-cancer-in-young-adults