Hello gorgeous pals,

From April 1st - April 20th I will be walking 1 mile a day in 20 different pairs of shoes to raise funds for Young Lives vs Cancer.

I'm talking stilettos, regrettable shoe purchases, and glittery knee high boots (no regrets with those ones) and yes, I have over 20 pairs of shoes ready to choose from!

I'm taking on this challenge because April 21st 2025 will mark 20 years since I was diagnosed with childhood cancer.

I was 8 years old when I was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer with a 50% chance of survival. It changed my life forever and I am lucky to have a very tip top outcome.

A huge part of my treatment was my knee replacement, because my tumour was in my femur. So this will be a real test of two decades worth of physio (if you're my surgeon, please don't look!).

Unfortunately, I will no longer be able to wear all of these shoes because my legs are now, once more, different lengths due to my cancer treatment. Even after my whole teenagerhood being dominated by leg lengthening surgeries.

And I am SO upset about it I must say. So I am turning this sadness into a fundraiser, as my way to say goodbye to the 'normal shoes' that I fought so hard to wear.

I'm supporting Young Lives vs Cancer (formally CLIC Sargent) because my family stayed in one of their Homes from Home throughout my treatment. To me, this meant my sister Steph could be with me while I had chemo and surgeries.

Your sister will always treat you normally and she was exactly who I needed to get through such a dark time - and she is still my other half / emergency contact / reality check deliverer to this day! Thank God for Steph & Soph (the Shartley sisters) staying together!!

People often ask me if it's upsetting to work at Young Lives vs Cancer after being supported by them as a child, and if this brings up bad memories. And my response is always the same:

Every day I wake up and have to face the long-term affects of my cancer and it's treatment. My leg hurts, my hair is thin, there's always a hospital appointment on the horizon, and the mental and physical scars are ever-present.

Working at Young Lives vs Cancer allows me to turn this pain into purpose and passion for making sure the next generation of children and young people facing cancer get the right support at the right time. What an honour it is to do this as my job!

Here's how your donation could help a family like mine:

£5 covers toiletries and cleaning essentials for families in a Home from Home. They might seem like small items, but to children, young people and their families, they mean fresh pyjamas that smell like home after a long day in hospital. It's giving Babe!

£10 could re-stock the kitchen cupboards at a Home from Home so a family can enjoy a home-cooked meal together with their loved ones. A true God send for anyone who refuses Hospital food (me x).

£26 funds an hour of support from a Young Lives vs Cancer specialist social worker ensuring children, young people and families always have someone by their side throughout their cancer journey. What we would have given for this back in 2005!

£100 provides a financial grant for young people and families to cope with the immediate costs of cancer and meet additional expenses like travel, food or household bills so they can focus on getting through treatment. Let's help stop the incredibly unfair financial burden of cancer.

To find out more head to www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk

With Team Young Lives Love,

Sophie