Why I ’ m still running Marathons for Mum
In March 2010 our lovely Mum , Sheila , was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer . A ruthless and efficient disease , the survival rate is an appalling 3 % - Mum didn ’ t stand a chance .
She passed away 4 short months later aged just 66 . Nearly 7 years on , we still miss her every day .
I remember one particularly difficult day , when Mum ’ s health was deteriorating rapidly and the Martlets team were with us in Mum ’ s home helping her to get more comfortable , I promised Mum I would run the marathon for the Martlets to say thank you to the nurses . That made her smile and she squeezed my hand .
There were tears in her eyes but there was pride too .
A year later I hobbled around the 26 miles with a nasty injury ... but raised over £ 5,000 so the pain was well worth it . Words can ’ t really describe the emotion of that day but ‘ proud ’ springs to mind first ... proud to wear my Martlets vest , proud to have raised so much money , proud to be honoring my Mum , proud to have finished !
Martlets looked after my Mum in the last months of her life and crucially gave her care in her own home in the most difficult last few days . Mum was able to die peacefully at home – something she so very much wanted – and this is entirely down to the ‘ Hospice At Home ’ service that was made available to her and us as a family .
I cannot put a price on the value of practical and emotional support offered to us , her family members , during that challenging time and we quite simply would not have been able to manage without them .
Crossing the finishing line in 2011 I was greeted immediately by one of the many Martlets volunteers out in force that day . I don ’ t know his name , but he looked me in the eye and said ‘ Thank you for running for the Martlets ’. All I could say in return was ‘ Thank you for taking care of my Mum ’.
That sentiment is as strong today as it ever was and explains why I am now preparing for my third marathon - London this time - fundraising for Martlets . I am absolutely delighted my ‘ little ’ brother is joining me this year and between us I am sure we can raise a great sum for the Martlets ! Just as important though , we pay tribute to our wonderful Mum and keep her memory alive .
Angela ’ s ‘ little ’ brother Andy ran his first marathon in Brighton this year with his sister Seeing my sister run her second Brighton Marathon last year inspired me to finally take the plunge . Watching her , along with other friends of mine who were running , and the thousands of others , gave me an enormous sense of pride and admiration . I signed up for 2017 within minutes of Angela crossing the finish line in 2016 .
The next day I had mixed feelings : on the one hand I was thinking “ what have I done ?” but on the other I was excited and proud to know I would be running in support of Martlets and in memory of our mum , Sheila .
Martlets has been a charity that has meant something to me for as long as I can remember . As a child , I knew the name before I knew what it was ! When Mum would do a big spring clean , I
would help her load the car with clothes , furniture and bric-a-brac to take to the Martlets shops as donations .
As I grew up , I came to understand what the charity does and why it is so important to so many of us . It was something that my mum saw great value in , although we didn ’ t know back then how much she would come to depend on it herself . Then , when she was told that she had months to live , it was fitting that she would spend her last few weeks and days being looked after by the Martlets team .
I have wanted to raise money for Martlets for a while and my first marathon is a perfect opportunity for me to raise as much as possible , through donations from my friends and work colleagues . Lots of them know how significant Brighton is to me as my hometown , and for my many friends in Brighton and Hove , Martlets is well-known for its hard work in the community .
When it gets tough , I remind myself of my deepest motivation : I think this would make my mum proud .
Together , Angela and Andy have raised over £ 10,000 for Martlets , in honour of their Mum .
Martlets relies on support from people like Angela and Andy , we care for local people living through a terminal illness and all their care is provided free of charge . Every donation helps us provide life changing hospice to local families like Angela and Andy ’ s .
To help Martlets continue changing lives visit www . themartlets . org . uk
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