For those of you who don't know why I'm going to the UK this summer with my son, let me fill you in: because we're tagging along to make sure my crazy husband Mark doesn't injure himself too badly - or cause any international incidents. And what, you might ask, is your husband planning to do in the UK that could result in injury and/or international censure? In all seriousness, Mark is planning to run 400+ miles across the highest peaks in Wales, England, and Scotland in order to raise awareness and money for breast cancer research. This is a cause that's close to both of our hearts as we lost Mark's mother to secondary breast cancer 13 years ago. Other friends and family members have fought this battle as well so we're just trying to do our small part to help in any way that we can. You can read Mark's words below:
One of the last things my mom told me was "I beat cancer 4 out of 5 times. I think that's a winning record."
And while I've always admired her bravery, I can't help but think, "What if it had been Nancy Wood -1, Cancer -0?" What if her breast cancer had been knocked out permanently, instead of coming back as secondary, then metastasizing and spreading into her ovaries, stomach and bowel?
How many more years together would we have had? Would she have been there to see me marry the love of my life? Would she have had the chance to watch her eldest granddaughter grow into the amazingly talented young woman she is? Would she have been there for the birth of my son and seen herself in his goofy charm?
Honestly, I don't know. And I hate it. I hate that time was taken from all of us. I hate that there are women right now, going through the same things she went through. I hate that there are families worried about their mothers, wives and daughters.
But mostly? I hate that I've taken this long to act.
I don't have much to give beyond a decent set of legs and a stubborn streak a mile long (inherited from the amazing woman above ). So, on June 20th, 2016, I'll be setting out on a 400+ mile/8 day trek through Wales, England and Scotland, tackling the highest peaks in each country, as a fund raiser for Breast Cancer Now, the UK's largest breast cancer research foundation. It's going to be a hell of a challenge, but I WILL finish this run, I'll finish it for her, for my friends working through their own struggles, and for anyone else out there facing down breast cancer.
All I ask is that you give what you can, and help Breast Cancer Now even the odds.
Let's go kick some ass.
Please note that anything donated on the Just Giving page goes to the charity Breast Cancer Now and not to Mark or me.
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