Team Chimborazo - in memory of the indomitable, unstoppable and inspirational Cordelia Taylor

5 peaks in 10 days
“Mummy is the sunshine” ~ Lolita Oakes, age 8.
On 21st February a team of 4 (Adam, Lee, Heath and Florent) are heading off to Ecuador for their biggest challenge yet, summiting 5 volcanoes in 10 days. Their final day will hopefully see them reach the top of Chimborazo (20,702ft/6.310m). Being located on the equator it makes it the closest part of the earth to the sun. You can read more about the mountain here - https://iantaylortrekking.com/blog/climbing-chimborazo-your-ultimate-guide/
Our own personal losses and experiences have inspired us to do this trek for ACT for Cancer. A charity close to the heart of the lady we are walking for, Cordelia.
All of us have been impacted, in one way or another, by cancer. We don’t know anyone who hasn’t. Cancer is a devastating diagnosis, for any family and sadly one which one in two people will receive in our lifetime.
You can read more about our inspiration, Cordelia on her blog (www.bottlemeupbuttercup.com) but those who know and love her will tell you, she was and is still a huge source of hope to those living with a terminal cancer diagnosis. At the age of just 36, with a 2 year old daughter (Lolita) by her side, Cordelia was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (stage 4 brain cancer). She was given 12-18 months to live. Absolutely refusing to accept this and leave her beautiful, Loli, she became a warrior. She was unstoppable in looking for ways in which to fight and to stay alive for a long as possible. Which brought her to ACT for Cancer.
ACT for Cancer is a charity that simply believes in “every chance, for everyone”. In a time when everything feels so overwhelming ACT works with patients and their families to improve understanding of, and access to non-standard treatments. Which is the support and navigation that Cordelia like so many others really need.
ACT works to empower patients and clinicians to explore novel cancer treatments and trials.
Often called ‘novel’ ‘off-label’ or ‘compassionate-use’ drugs, these cancer treatments mainly exist outside of the usual standard of care or could be part of a clinical trial.
But for patients who have exhausted the standard treatment options, these new treatments could provide: improved life chances; deeper clinical understanding for oncologists and researchers in how to better treat tumour types; and evidence for mainstream adoption.
ACT for Cancer needs our support and we are delighted to be doing this trek in memory of Cordelia, for them. Any donation, large or small will be greatly appreciated.
We’ll keep you updated as much as we can but for now we’d like to leave you with some of Cordelia’s words, words that we’ll be keeping with us along the way.
“The power of hope and choice.
When you face a challenge, no matter how big or small, or what you’ve been told, YOU are the only one who gets to decide whether to hold on to hope or not. For me, I chose to ignore the stats and have hope. It gave me 6 years of living, not just life but actual living. I used hope to let me choose to dance in the woods and go on holidays and swim in the English sea on new year’s day and just live life. I know it hasn’t worked out the way we would have liked but I’m so glad I believed it could have because I got this time and I urge anyone facing a challenge too to keep believing ‘you can do it’ and let the choice be living and dancing.”
Many thanks for your time
Team Chimborazo for Cordelia Xx
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