As a way to raise awareness and money for Cancer Research UK, I will be running Brighton Marathon 2021 in the hope Cancer can be cured much sooner.
As some people may know, this charity is very close to my heart since losing three loved ones over the course of four years to this horrific disease.
Unfortunately, many people lose their loved ones to cancer every day, and the pain and heartache is unimaginable to those who have not been through the same situations.
When I was 17 years old, my Great Nan who I loved and cherished very much took a fall at home, in September 2016 and was later admitted to hospital. A day after she was admitted, I was given the news, nobody wants to hear. My Great Nan had been diagnosed with Lung Cancer and due to her age, they were unable to treat it. At this time, doctors and family were unsure how long she had left to live. During the next month, I took time out of school to go and visit her with my nan, a few times each week. A week before she passed, she was moved to a care home where she slowly saw signs of improvement, however a few days later she deteriorated and on the 28th of October, she peacefully passed away.
My Great Nan was the only Great Nan I had in my life, I grew up seeing her often and she loved me very dearly as so did I with her. When I lost my Great Nan, I felt like I had lost everything, and there are some days I still do. But the things I do in life now, are for her, and I know she would be proud of me for running Brighton Marathon 2021.
For almost four years I had been helping this couple, by walking their dog daily. One day, I found out peter had been diagnosed with lung cancer. At this point my heart sank because I had recently lost my Great Nan and I felt it was happening again. For a couple of years, I watched peter go into hospital for treatments, however in January 2019 he was admitted into a hospice, and he peacefully passed away at the end of January 2019.
Finally, in November 2019 I found out my second cousin had cancer which was spreading throughout her body. My second cousin spent the next five months in hospital due to this cancer and multiple medical conditions. Unfortunately, in April 2020, she was diagnosed with Covid-19 in which she peacefully passed away a few days later in a hospice to this virus and horrific disease.
Seeing three loved ones endure this pain, and losing their life to cancer. I want to raise awareness of the devastating impact cancer has on families, therefore I am running this marathon for myself, my Great Nan, Peter and my second cousin, as well as all the families who are currently dealing with disease.
