In October 2027, I'm taking on the Machu Picchu Trail for Blythe House Hospice - a charity that will forever hold a piece of my heart.

In August 2023, I lost my mum Jo at just 51. Nine months earlier, she'd been diagnosed with Glioblastoma - an incredibly aggressive brain cancer that turned all of our worlds upside down overnight. From the moment Blythe House came into our lives, they became so much more than a hospice. They were our lifeline. They cared for Mum at the hospice, at home, and everywhere in between — always putting her independence and dignity at the centre of everything they did.

When her medication caused rapid weight gain that resulted in a spinal break, and getting out became too hard, they didn't hesitate - they came to her. Every single member of staff carried such warmth with them. Mum always came away feeling truly seen, truly heard, and truly loved.

She had a way of leaving a mark on everyone she met. I have to share one memory that captures her perfectly. After a frightening episode of cluster seizures, Mum ended up intubated in the ICU. The moment they began bringing her round, she was already trying to pull her tubes out - classic Mum! The doctor asked her to blink to show she was aware enough for the tube to come out, but she was too busy fighting to manage it. A nurse suggested she try sticking her tongue out instead - and of course, she nailed it immediately 😂 The whole room erupted. One of the staff said she had the constitution of an ox, and honestly? They weren't wrong. That was her to her core. ❤️

But wait... there's more! 🧶

Before Mum passed, she left me something really special — a 5 litre tub of yarn (yes, 5 litres 😮) and a wish that I'd use it to crochet things to sell in her memory. So that's exactly what I'm going to do. Over the next year and a half, I'll be working my way through every last bit of it, with everything I make going straight to this cause. Wish my fingers luck - they're going to need it!

A little about Blythe House Hospice 💙

Blythe House offer free, tailored care and support to patients and families living with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses across the High Peak, Hope Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire. From their 24/7 Hospice at Home and overnight Roaming Car services, to nursing care, therapies and counselling at their Community Hub in Chapel-en-le-Frith — they show up for families at every stage of the journey. 70% of their patients receive care entirely thanks to fundraising, which means every single donation, no matter the size, makes a real and tangible difference.

To say the last couple of years have been rough would be a profound understatement.

A month after we received Mum's diagnosis - just before our last Christmas with her - we lost our stepdad Ian too. I was pregnant at the time, and the weight of carrying new life whilst simultaneously carrying that much grief nearly broke me in ways I still can't fully put into words.

And then, only recently, we lost our Dad. Quickly and unexpectedly, to cancer that had spread from his lungs. Another goodbye we weren't ready for.

This trek isn't just for Mum. It's for Ian. It's for Dad.

It's for every piece of love I carry for all three of them — love that has nowhere to go but forward.

I don't just want to do this walk. I need to. For them, and for myself. Every step I take on that trail, I'll be taking with them beside me. ❤️

I may be the one lacing up the boots and crocheting through the yarn - but none of this is possible without you. Please give whatever you can, big or small. You'd be helping make sure other families get to feel the kind of love and care that meant everything to ours.

From the bottom of our hearts - thank you ❤️