My Story

On 1st November 2015, I returned home on a real high after just completing a ten day trek across the Great Wall of China with my dear friend Lindsay. Between us we raised £6000 for NSPCC, my euphoria was short lived. My husband had a bag packed for me and told me not to worry, but my mum was unwell and had been taken to Lewisham Hospital. I left within the hour and was at her bedside within 3 hours. 

My mum was so pleased to see me and wanted to hear all about my trip to China, she looked like my mum but just a little jaundice but quite perky. My hopes for a full recovery for my mum was high, but I didn't know what was about to unfold.

On talking to the doctors, words like Pancreatic Cancer, Stage 4 and extremely poorly were spoken. Within three weeks of arriving at her bedside, my mum was told that to prolong her life she needed surgery to do a bypass in her intestines. I was allowed to travel with my mum to another hospital for her to have the surgery via an ambulance. She waited six hours on a hospital trolley to be told that they couldn't do the surgery that day and she have to return to Lewisham Hospital and await a new date for the surgery. I looked at my mum who was growing weaker and she looked at me and said "No more I have had enough" I sadly knew what she meant and it broke my heart. We returned to Lewisham Hospital and that night she had 'an episode' and fell from her bed. 

Within 48 hours she could no longer get out of her bed and went downhill rapidly. We were told as a family to prepare for her passing and to bring Christmas forward , also to consider a hospice or home care. Sadly Mum only survived another 3 days and before we could arrange to get her moved from the hospital. 

Within one month of returning from my trip to China, my mum had passe away in front of me. I was there holding her hand and reassuring her that my dad, her mum and dad would all be waiting for her and not to be scared. 

During the days and weeks at her bedside we talked and laughed about many things we had shared in our lifetime together, one of those was walking to the end of our road where we lived, to watch the London Marathon runners pass by. It was one of these discussions that I told her I would run the London Marathon for her and would place my medal with her after she had passed away. She said light heartly that the Marathon could kill me!

I wanted ro run in the 2017 London Marathon but unfortunately had a horse riding accident, in which I broke my back, it was not possible to do so .Then COVID delayed my promise to my mum. But now it is time.

I was lucky to secure a place to run on the Pancreatic Cancer UK team and feel privileged and honoured to be able to take part. It will be quite an emotional day for me, especially when I run pass the end of my childhood street where my mum lived for 55 years. She won't be there in person to support me but my family and friends have said they will be out in force as I go passed. I know my mum will be with me in spirit throughout the 26.2 miles.

Please support me in fullfilling my promise to my beloved mum, who was my inspiration and rock for so many years. 

Pancreatic Cancer is such a terrible disease, it is unacceptable that more than half of people diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer die within 3 months. Survival rates have improved enormously for most cancers, yet for Pancreatic Cancer this is not the case. 

Pancreatic Cancer UK is dedicated to taking on this injusticee using every possible means. They're supporting people with pancreatic cancer now, campagning, and funding vital research to transform the future. Help them to make the breakthroughs that people with Pancreatic Cancer so desperately need.

Thank You

Jen