Louise's Race for Life

My mum was an amazing woman and a force of nature. She was and still is my hero - I refuse to say Cancer beat her because it didn’t, she just couldn’t win the fight. She fought cancer with dignity and with laughter and I can’t do with words justice for just what a woman she was. She fought cancer for other people on a daily basis as a nurse but unfortunately illness doesn’t discrimate and what she fought for other people got her as well. You never think it’s going to happen to you until it does. She was diagnosed with stomach cancer in November 2016. We were told her odds weren’t looking good but she was determined to fight as hard as she could to beat the illness. After surgery and intense chemo and radiotherapy she was given the all clear in early 2017. Despite giving her best fight and physically losing most of her stomach to win the fight, the cancer came back and despite trying to keep a brave face on everything, shortly after Christmas 2017 we got told there was just a matter of weeks left to spend together. You have never met a woman who spent the last 8 weeks of her life with such bravery and thought for literally everyone around her but herself. Some of the biggest laughs I had with my mum were caring for her in her final weeks and these memories I will hold on to forever. Last year I ran the 5k in her memory and raised over £900 - every year I am going to try and do something bigger & better to raise money. I was 23 when my mum passed away, and I won’t get to have her at my wedding or there if I ever have kids. My grandparents had to deal with losing their child. My dad has had to get used to retirement alone, something that was never the plan. I want to stop others going through this. Cancer is happening right now, which is why I'm taking part in a Race for Life 10k to raise money and save lives. 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Every single pound you donate makes a difference to Cancer Research UK’s groundbreaking work, so please sponsor me now.