My Story
Thanks for visiting my fundraising page. I’m doing the April Dog Walking Challenge for Stand Up To Cancer to help fund life-saving research. Please show your support by making a donation to my page. Your cash will support researchers to get new tests and treatments across the line faster, so more lives get saved. In 2002 after such a short spell of illness we were given the devastating news that my mum had Stage 4 Pancreatic cancer and had only weeks to live. Our lives were turned upside down by this news but my mum was so strong throughout her final days and held on with determination until she passed away on the 3rd November 2002. She was 52 years old. My mum had such a strong Christian faith and that has helped me and through her I continue to support cancer charities wherever and however I can. In 2016 our family suffered another blow when my sister died from bowel cancer aged only 45. Mel had her whole life to live for with 3 beautiful children and a great husband. They had a lovely life and enjoyed living in Abu Dhabi where they had settled and made lots of new friends. After operations and several rounds of treatment Melanie returned home to Beith in Scotland as sadly there was nothing more could be done for her. We spent our last Christmas together in Dec 2015, a quiet affair where Mel managed to enjoy a small bit of Christmas dinner and sat next to the log fire. Mel always loved Christmas and took great delight in spoiling her 2 nieces Louise and Rachel. They were always the most excited when Auntie Mel came along with her huge bag of gifts for them. Mel had the biggest personality, a smile that lit up a room and a laugh that when you heard it you knew Mel had arrived!!! Just after New Year in 2016 Mel told me it was time and asked me to arrange for her to go into a hospice. She was admitted into St Vincent’s Hospice where she received the most wonderful care and passed away peacefully there on Thursday Jan 14th 2016 with her husband Michael at her side. I think it’s so important that we focus on the great memories of my mum and sister and not how they lost their lives to cancer at such a young age but it is also important that money is raised to further the research that is being done and hopefully lives will be saved and other families don’t suffer the same tragic losses we have. I miss my mum and sister every day but feel their strength to keep going and in their memories I will continue to fundraise for cancer charities for as long as I can. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for all your generous donations. I really appreciate the support. Holly x
