Megan takes on Fitness February

Every two minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer. On 13th March 2017, my Dad was just one of 720 people who shared that diagnosis. After five weeks of tests, my Dad was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer and given eighteen months to live. I was in the middle of my final exams at university and my family were faced with the terrible decision of having to wait until after my exams to tell me, whilst knowing the clock was ticking down. That very same year we were dealt the blow that my Uncle, my Dad’s brother, had a tumour on his brain stem. It seemed that EVERYTHING was falling apart. I’m grateful to say that, in February 2019, my Dad and Uncle are still with us. They are stubborn and determined characters, and they have a strong support system around them. My Uncle was in hospital for the best part of a year – having undergone brain surgery that left him unable to walk or speak. He is now home with his wife and daughter and working to build up his strength. We are grateful that pioneering research by Cancer Research UK has helped to control and maintain my Dad’s cancer so far. But it will never go away. We were recently told that there is a ‘cause for concern’ on his scan, indicating that it has spread to his ribs. He has been through chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and is awaiting a date for his clinical trial at UCLH. My story is that of one family. One of 720 families who were dealt the ‘C-word’ diagnosis on 13th March 2017. Some of those people will now be cancer-free. Some of them will no longer be with us. And for others, their battle continues today. For a long while I felt powerless. Useless to take away any of my Dad’s suffering. However, Rachel suggested that we change the narrative and get out there to face cancer head-on. Rachel and I have decided to take on an epic 28-day challenge this February to raise money for Cancer Research UK. We may not be able to change things for my Dad, but we can certainly help to create more tomorrows for more people. Fitness February is 28 days straight of intense exercise. No breaks. No rest days. A LOT of aches. We will be posting the most glamorous gym selfies we can muster to prove our efforts to you, our donors…um…by which I mean pained, sweaty and, well, beetroot. Cancer Research UK receives absolutely no government funding and is maintained completely by donations. Your support helps them to continue ground breaking work to see more people surviving cancer. Please help us by donating to our fundraising page. So what can your donations achieve? £5 kits out one of Cancer Research UK’s ground-breaking research labs with essential chemicals. £12 buys a lab timer to keep scientists on track as they go about their work. £20 buys a new bulb for a microscope, illuminating minute details of cancer cells. £50 buys special restriction enzymes that work like molecular scissors to cut up long strands of DNA. £100 buys a Bunsen burner – a simple item that helps scientists in their research. £200 helps funds a postdoc researcher – developing their skills in the lab under the supervision of expert scientists. £400 is the cost of running Cancer Chat for one day, helping thousands of people through difficult times. £1,000 helps fund Dr Gerhardt Attard and his team as the research how cancer develops resistant to treatments for one day. More than 9 out of 10 donations made to Cancer Research UK are for less than £10, proving that small amounts make a difference. We would be so grateful for your support. Thank you. Megan xxx