I'm racing - are you?

Race for life - everyones heard of it, right?

Every year I see the posts asking for sponsors, I donate.

I see the pictures of people taking part, and I feel  inspired to join in and kick myself that I didn't make more of an effort.

So this year I am not going to just sit and wish I had joined in, I am actually going to get up and go along and join, thanks to the nudge from AquaPura, who are the official sponsors this year.

Race for life helps support Cancer research, which is such a wonderful Charity, as cancer really is a unrelentless disease, it doesn't stop to think of the lives it destroys as it sweeps through. Cancer effects so many of us, each person has a story. A story that should never have to be told.

And this is mine.

As a child, even as a teenager, I was lucky, no one I had ever known had been struck by illness, no one had even grew old and passed away, still to this day I have all my extended family including all my 4 grandparents.


However life is not always as kind, some people do not grow to see their grandchildren or watch their great grandchildren grow up, some people don't even get to relish in their own childrens futures.

With my sheltered from grief, childhood, I unfortunately got to see the reality of life and death when I moved in with Darren, aged just 18.

We moved into his mother- Glendas house, and rented it off her, as she moved away to set up a coffee shop business, a larger than life personality with her whole future ahead of her, Glenda was a bubbly big lady who made her presences felt and she quickly welcomed me into her family. Sending us gifts and coming over to visit us often.

It was on one of these visit when our whole lives turned upside down.

We were young, at the beginning of our lives, me and Darren had just set up our computer shop, we were giddy with excitement and future prospects, we had secured ourselves a start up loan and arranged for tenancy on a shop, we had planned, planned and planned some more then put everything into action, and were proud of ourselves. On top of this we had some exciting news, I was 3 months pregnant, yet we had not told anyone yet.

We had agreed to break the news on Glendas next visit, so when Glenda came over we took her to visit the shop, she came over looked around, we talked, she stopped at our house for a few days, each day she seemed to be feeling a little more unwell. The moment to break our news never felt right so we kept quiet. Un be known to us, she had been diagnosed with cancer in the weeks prior to her visit.

On the day she was due to return home, she took a drastic turn for the worst, when we arrived home from work, expecting to wave her off home, we were greeted with ambulances and commotion, confused we did not know what was happening, we followed and visited her in hospital, where Glenda appeared to be ok. The next few days passed in abit of a blur, we went about our daily business not really sure of what was happening but convinced all would be well.

That was, until we were took to one side, and told the shocking truth, that Glenda was suffering with cancer, she was in the late stages and there was nothing more that could be done.

The next few days became once again  abit of a blur, Glenda came home, to ours, then returned to the hospital.

This time in the hospital Glenda was not ok at all, she seemed so very unwell. That night we stayed, Darren, his brother and me along with Glendas Partner. We all stayed, numb, confused and concerned.

I will never forget those days, the drastic contrast of life and death. The pleading look in Glendas eyes as the machines and buzzers and bleeps rang around her.

That night Glenda passed away.

We never got to tell her she would become a Granny.

The events that happened following her death made such an impact on everyones world, Darren and his brother never managed to grieve for their mum in a way they maybe should, but then grief is such a funny thing. The ripples of the after effect when someone so alive, so full of life is taken far too soon, made more of an impact than anyone could ever imagine.

Glenda was only 50.  her life snatched, taken far before her time.

The hole in our lives where she should be is huge. The struggles Darren and his brother have been through trying to come to terms with their mothers sudden death, both in the immediate years after and still to this day, is overwhelming.

The huge gap in our childrens lives, never having the option to know their Grandmother, who would have doted on them all, is too sad to even comprehend.

Over the following 12 years cancer has effected so many of my friends lives too, and my sheltered childhood now seems like such a long long time ago.

Cancer -  Destroys lives.

But Research is destroying cancer, making it a real possibility for more people effected by this desease to overcome it.

We all can help.

 Cancer research is about fighting back, its about not letting cancer win. And by joining in with race for life its like you are standing up and saying cancer - we're coming to get you!

And that is why I will proudly Race for Life this July.

If you want to join in a race near you then take a look at The race for life website and find your local event.

If you want to add a donation to my page, then that would be most appreciated my just giving page is : https://www.justgiving.com/sarahchloe

I have just over a month to get ready for the race, me and Chloe will be participating together.

I have been sponsored by Aqua Pura - official race for life sponsors, who have kindly sponsored me £100 on my just giving page and paid for my entrance fee, giving me the boost I needed to join in this year, and join in I will, I will race for Glenda, for Carole and for everyone else who has been effected by cancer. I will race and hope that one day, one day we really will kick cancer completely.