Race For Life

1 June 2007

Laura Cooke, age 25
Getting married August 2007
Laura’s special Mum wont be there to share her big day with her in August. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002 and had to have a mastectomy. She got through it and they thought that the worst was over. Unfortunately the cancer returned in 2006 into her bones and liver. Again, Laura’s Mum had a brave battle and started to fight it again. This time unfortunately it wouldn't be beaten as it spread into her brain. They lost her in November 2006. Laura has been engaged since November 2005 so her Mum was involved in a big part of the initial planning but unfortunately she wont be there on the special day and she never got her one wish - to see Laura in a wedding dress. Laura had her own cancer scare in 2005 after having to have a 5 lbs cyst removed from her ovary and fallopian tube. Fortunately, she was given the all clear but sadly her mums’ story couldn't be like that. Laura wants to take part in one big day so that in the future, girls will be able to have their proud mums with them on their wedding days.

Leanne Nelson, age 26
Getting married 28th July 2007
Leann’s fiancé Ian was diagnosed in 1995 aged 19 with Hodgkins lymphoma and again in 2002 with secondary Acute myeloid leukemia. Ian had a bone marrow transplant in April 2003 so he is just over 4 years post transplant. He also had extensive chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a stem cell transplant prior to this. He still attends the BMT unit at Glasgow royal for routine check ups. He is mainly in good health other than having diabetes and a very minor heart condition which may be a result of treatment and medication. He also attends the hospital to keep a check on these conditions but is generally fit and well.

He recently completed an HND in Sports sciences and hopes to work in GP referral for people getting back to fitness after major injury and illness. He and Leanne are getting married on 28th July this year at Castle Campbell and are looking to buy a house and are on the waiting list for ICSI fertility treatment at the Glasgow royal infirmary.

Charlotte Smith, age 26
Getting married 1st September ‘07
Charlotte was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in April 1999 after discovering a lump in her neck (this was only 6 months after her grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer, which, she is pleased to say, she is fully recovered from). Charlotte was in her final year of her a-levels and due to go to university in September 1999. She had two operations to remove the tumour and her thyroid gland, and then went on to have radioactive iodine treatment. This involved being confined to a room for about 4 days, after taking a radioactive iodine tablet which works through your body to pick up any cancerous thyroid cells that might not have been caught by the operation. Charlotte made it to Sheffield University in Sept 1999, but had some further courses of treatment in 2000 and spent the time in hospital revising for her university exams! She was lucky enough to have a very good consultant and surgeon and barely has a scar from the operation. Other than having to attend for yearly check ups for the rest of her life and taking thyroxine tablets (and calcium and vitamin d tablets) everyday-all is well!

Jane Broomby
Getting married August ‘07
When asked to talk about her links with cancer, Jane, like most people, didn't really know where to start. Her family is like most, many people have been affected by the killer disease. Jane’s family history of cancer spans many different forms; bowel, uterus, brain, skin, prostate just to name a few. Both of her grandmas died of cancer. Her mum's eldest sister died of cancer, her dad's aunt has cancer, two of her uncles and her aunt have cancer and are presently undergoing treatment. Jane is running race for life for her future mother in law.

Jane is getting married in August. Her fiance’s mum is battling with terminal asbestos cancer (asbestosis). She has had as much traditional treatment (chemotherapy) as she is allowed. At the moment she is taking part in a drugs trial at the Royal Marsden hospital - they know this won't cure her, but they hope that it might slow down the cancers growth. Without money raised from projects such as race for life, these kinds of trails wouldn't be able to happen.

At the moment they pray everyday that Celia will be with them for their special day and long after.

Jodie Mason, age 22
Getting married 25th August 2007
In 2003, when Jodie was 18, she was told after going to hospital for a simple eye test that she had a brain tumour that was thought to be blocking a passage in her brain that releases fluid. Because of this, she had a huge amount of fluid build up in her brain so much so that it caused her brain to swell and push onto her eyes giving her terrible migraines. Jodie had an operation to drain the fluid but because of the location of the tumour it could not be diagnosed, so she basically had to go for check-ups regularly to monitor its growth. Jodie has been told that they cannot determine whether or not it is a cancer as it would be too dangerous and hopefully it will not grow. Jodie’s husband-to-be’s father died a year later from a brain tumour which was cancerous and only found after he had suffered a stroke. She is doing the race for life in memory of him. Also, Jodie’s husband-to-be’s mum had what she thinks was ovarian cancer a few years ago. She had an operation and treatment and has made a full recovery however she still has to go for regular scans.

Rebecca Nunn, age 35
Got married 6th January 2007
Running is a fairly recent thing in Rebecca’s life. She started last year in September 2006, in an attempt to increase her general fitness, but also to tone up for her wedding to her now husband. Ben and Rebecca married on 6th January 2007 and is now proud to be Mrs Nunn (née Aldersley). Ben's mother very sadly died of cancer when he was 17 (is now also 35), so it already touches their lives. More recently however, Rebecca’s mother was diagnosed with cancer of the colon. It is very early days, but the cancer was caught early and they remain very positive. In fact her surgery will take place next week and she will be recovering in hospital as Rebecca’s run.