A woman from Devon is in training for the Great West Run to keep a promise she made to her father-in-law who suffered the devastating effects of three brain tumours before he passed away.
Flo Curtis-Cobbledick is taking on the half marathon on Sunday 26th May in memory of Colin Cobbledick, who was originally diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2020, just before Flo fell pregnant. He underwent multiple surgeries and was doing well when Flo and husband Dan welcomed their daughter, Olivia, into the world the following year.
But in June 2023, Colin began to get disorientated and family members noticed he wasn’t always making sense when he spoke. A scan showed that the cancer had spread to his brain.
Flo, 32, said: “Colin went downhill quickly. Before that he’d been active, running his own company and playing with Olivia. They had a sweet bond – he called her ‘O’ and she called him ‘Grandma’, which made him laugh.”
Sadly, Colin was too unwell to undergo any further treatment and he died just three months later, aged 62.
Office manager Flo said: “I hadn’t got back into running since having Olivia, but before Colin died, I told him I would do a run for him. When I heard about the Great West Run, it was the perfect opportunity. And I knew which cause I wanted to raise money and awareness for.
“Bowel cancer made Colin unwell but he could carry on with his life. It was the brain tumours that destroyed him. They took away his freedom – he had to completely depend on others – and stole Olivia’s time with her grandfather. That’s why I want to make some noise for Brain Tumour Research.”
If you would like to participate in the Great West Run like Flo, please register here.
To support Flo’s fundraising for Brain Tumour Research, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/florence-curtis-cobbledick-1707912348529
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