On April 24th 2016 I am running the London Marathon for Beating Bowel Cancer for my second year running. Last year I took on the challenge and raised a massive £4377.45 for Beating Bowel Cancer. Like many people I have lost somebody to cancer.

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When my dad told us he had been diagnosed with Bowel Cancer we questioned why? Like many people in our situation it’s hard to not question. We now know that 1 in 16 people get diagnosed with Bowel Cancer with the UK so our question is no longer why us but could we have caught this sooner.

Our dad was a special man and we always knew that by his massive friend base and the way he dealt with all things in life with a big smile and a positive attitude. This really came to light in the weeks that passed. He joked about saying he was off work so he could watch the football, enjoy the London 2012 Olympics and possibly take part in the marathon (ironic).

As a family we adapted to his needs to support his battle. His regular chemotherapy sessions and his doctors and nurse visits were a part of daily life. He had an operation to remove the majority of the tumour but even after some tough chemotherapy the cancer showed little sign that it was going anywhere. By January 2014 the decision was made to stop all treatment.

My dad kept us positive and explained that we would just learn to ‘live with his cancer’, and we did. In March I left my job and became his full time carer. A job that came with days filled with laughter and sadness. I’m sure throughout this blog I will give you insights into just how amazing those few weeks were.

As a family we shared moments together that looking back now we are so grateful for. Happiness and positive filled our house and we grabbed every opportunity by two hands. However seeing the cancer take it’s toll makes it it’s extremely hard to ignore just how awful, unforgiving and fast this terrible disease is. We always knew we were running out of time.

June 2014 we year we lost our dad and my mother lost her loving husband of over 30 years. My dad passed away only a month before my 21st birthday and just 3 weeks before my brother got married.

Cancer waits for nobody, that’s why we all must do what little we can to prevent it. If I motivate just one person get their symptoms checked, or raise awareness of what to look for then that would be amazing!