Hi, on 4th April 2023 my lovely husband Alan lost his hard fought battle against cancer. It wasn't a long battle, it began in November 2022 when he was diagnosed with cancerous tumours in the brain and spine and given only a few month to live. Its hard to think back on how difficult those months were for Alan but being able to stay at home surrounded by the people and things he loved , including Phoebe and Mabel his 2 very spoilt moggies) made a world of difference. This wouldn't have been possible without the expert medical care and emotional support the whole family received from the wonderful Dympna, our NI Hospice Nurse. She and Alan hit it off from day 1 and they enjoyed a chat and a laugh. He looked forward to her visits and that meant so much. I was able to ask the really hard questions and she would give me honest answers and reassure me that support would be there right to the last day. And it was. I cannot commend the NI Hospice enough for the care they gave to our family and without them we couldn't have spent those last months at home with Alan which was where he wanted to be. I was directed towards Action Cancer at the time to use their welfare and holistic services. The staff there were wonderful. They offered a quiet space to benefit from a special treatment like a massage or reflexology or just to chat about how you were coping that day. An hour out of the house to refocus the mind and take a deep breathe meant the world some days.

Because these two organisations gave so much to our family, at the worst of times and without any financial gain, I want to give something back if I can. So I am going to tackle 3 small walking challenges in the hope that friends and family will consider making a small sponsorship donation. I have just completed the 32 Km ( 19 Miles) North Coast Challenge. It took about 8 hours to walk along the beautiful coast from Port Ballintrae to Port Bradden and back. Exhausting but rewarding too. My second challenge is the Action Cancer Breast Foot Forward Walk on June 6th. Its a 10km (6 miles) walk around Belfast City. My third is the North Down Coastal Walk which is approximately 16 kilometres ( 10 miles). I aim to complete all by 30th June.

I am hoping that I can use these small challenges to help raise a little money for these 2 fantastic organisations to help them continue giving support to families, like ours, all over Northern Ireland. After all, none of us know what life will throw at us and someday we might need them to be there for us too.

Thank you so much for reading this and for even considering making a small donation.

Gillian