Marie Curie and the Marathon

I have already explained the madness behind the decision to take on the ultimate fun run so I guess I should now explain why I am trying to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Here is some official information about the work they do - you can read more on their website http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/

Marie Curie Cancer Care provides high quality nursing, totally free, to give terminally ill people the choice of dying at home supported by their families. Research shows that 75% of people seriously ill with cancer would like to be cared for at home. Every year, Marie Curie Nurses make that wish possible for thousands of cancer patients in cities, towns and villages across the UK. Marie Curie Nurses now care for almost half of all cancer patients who die at home. They work through the night or during the day to provide one-on-one care for the patient and provide practical and emotional support for families at what can be an exhausting time.

I first came into contact with Marie Curie nurses when my good friend and house mate was told his cancer had become terminal. At the time we were living in a house-share but it soon became obvious it would be difficult to maintain the house between the two of us and so my friend decided to look at his options for care.

My friends parents still lived in the house he had grown up in as a child and they were more than happy for him to return to his old room however as his parents were both elderly and lived some distance away from where I was based it was going to be difficult.

My friends parents contacted the local district nurse to ask about possible support with the care of their son as he really wanted to stay in familiar surroundings with his family nearby. The district nurse put my friends parents in touch with Marie Curie Cancer Care and a nurse was assigned to provide overnight care on a regular basis allowing my friends parents to get some sleep but besides this the nurse also provided much needed support and advice to the family and myself - the nurse helped us to understand in practical terms what would happen as the cancer progressed and what we could do to help. The nurse provided wonderful emotional support to my friends parents and all around him including myself, the nurse also provided fantastic practical help with finding a new bed to make my friend more comfortable and even helped us to track down an obscure sci-fi movie on video that my friend had been looking for.

My friend spent 4 months at his parents home before he sadly passed away just after a new year party. I can't begin to describe the value of help we received or the value we could place on having my friend stay in a familiar place surrounded by loved ones throughout the final stages of his illness, all of us were able to spend quality time with my friend in a relaxed environment. I often stayed over at weekends where we would sit up all night watching star trek movies and discussing the finer points of life, the universe and everything. I am extremely grateful for this time we had and I am in no doubt that it would not have been possible without the help of the Marie Curie nurse.

So in my mind Marie Curie Cancer Care is an amazing organization and deserves to get all the money I can possibly raise.

If you would like to make a donation please visit the website and follow the "donate now" link or alternatively if you would like to sponsor me to run the marathon for Marie Curie Cancer care then email me now!

http://www.mariecurie.org.uk