A mother-daughter duo is aiming to complete the 10-mile (16km) AJ Bell Great South Run to raise money for Brain Tumour Research.
Emma Birch, 36, and Sara Nicholson, 59, will be running almost a full loop of the city of Portsmouth on Sunday 20th October, in memory of a family friend who died of a brain tumour in 2020.
Father-of-two Nick Keenan, 34, had been battling an astrocytoma, which eventually progressed to a glioblastoma (GBM), since 2015. Despite radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and two debulking surgeries, Nick passed away in November 2020.
Emma, a childhood friend of Nick’s wife Victoria, said: “It was heartbreaking when we found out about Nick’s diagnosis. We were moving through life at the same pace, and had a family around the same time Nick and Victoria had their 17-month-old twin girls.”
Victoria had a memorial bench installed in Lindfield, where they lived, with a plaque quoting him: “Each day is a gift, don’t waste it”.
Emma began running after giving birth to her own daughter. She said: “Victoria says she feels blessed to have a friend supporting her fight to raise awareness of brain tumours. We went on a sunrise run together recently, which reminded me why I signed up to the run in the first place.
“There have been days when the training feels tough and I want to give up, but I think of Nick and find my motivation.”
Having already raised more than £500, Emma predicts her and her mother will complete the 10 miles in just over two hours. She continued: “For me, taking part in a race in aid of Brain Tumour Research seems like the best way I can help stop brain tumours tearing young families apart.
“There is a need to invest money in research into brain tumours, to find kinder treatment options – and, eventually, a cure.”
You can donate to us via Emma and Sara’s JustGiving page. However big or small, your donation can help to find a cure.
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Published Monday 14th October 2024.