Just over 12 months ago, my mum was diagnosed with multiple grade 4 Glioblastoma tumours throughout her brain, today she is still battling on with us and while she doesn't know it yet she will come with me on my 10k steps adventure a few times.
Life has always given us as a family the dirty end of the stick and just when we had all had enough and decided to make 2016 and beyond better for our self’s 20 odd days in to it, my mum was on the operating theatre at Royal Hallamshire Hospital. We had all dealt with Cancer before, my mums Dad, Arnold Parkin (aka Carl Fredrickson from Up!) had sadly passed away some years ago and more recently my Dad's Dad Harold Holyhead had tumours removed from his Lungs, but this was something completely different, I knew the moment my mum called me (despite mum trying to hide the seriousness of the situation) explaining she was having surgery to remove a ‘lump’ from her brain, that there was no recovery from this, call it a gut feeling or being pessimistic or whatever you like, I just knew exactly what it was and how bad it was and that there was nothing that could stop it.
I have spent the last 12 months spending as much time as I could with my family (which isn’t easy when you have to be careful the kids don’t take coughs and colds to their Nana’s!) while trying to tie up loose ends in my own life so I can be there for others when needed.
So this March I’m walking 10,000 steps a day throughout the month to help beat cancer sooner. Help me Walk All Over Cancer and fund life-saving research by sponsoring me. Donating through this page is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with Cancer Research UK.
For and with my Mum, Denise Holyhead.
For our survivor, Harold Holyhead
For Carl (Arnold Parkin)
