Meet the Co Down sisters taking part in Race for Life, in memory of their 39-year-old mum who passed away in 2016.
Six-year-old Genevieve Graham, and her sister Harriet 13, from Bangor , are pledging to take part in the race after losing mum Lisa, to a rare form of kidney cancer.
For the first time ever, the girls will be able to complete the race with their dad Peter, after Cancer Research UK extended the invite for the female only race, to everyone in North Down.
Lisa was diagnosed in December 2014. She had been complaining of back pain for a year and eventually a scan showed a tumour in her back, which thankfully was benign.
However, it also showed that there was something on the kidney which did not look right.
More scans, revealed the awful truth, Lisa had an extremely rare form of kidney cancer – so rare that doctors had only seen one other case in Ireland.
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Peter recalled the day they were given the diagnosis.
He said: “We had a call from the hospital asking us to come in for a talk. I assumed they were going to tell us Lisa would need surgery, probably have her kidney removed, but in no way was I prepared to hear the dreadful words ‘Lisa has only a few months to live’.
“I was numb with shock. When we entered the hospital the sun was shining and we were feeling quite positive but our mood had drastically changed when we left. Yes, the sun was still shining, but our whole world had crumbled. How could anyone say six to eight weeks?"
Lisa began chemotherapy and by the summer of 2015 the tumour had shrunk.
But the treatment was severe and doctors felt there was not sufficient shrinkage to continue, so the treatment was stopped.
Lisa even survived sepsis during 2015, but by December of that year, her condition had deteriorated, and she was in and out of hospital on a regular basis.
Sadly Lisa’s condition worsened and radiotherapy treatment made her worse making it necessary for her to stay in hospital.
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“I stayed with Lisa for two weeks, until she lost her battle on 20 February 2016," Peter said.
“The girls were still young, Harriet was nine and Genevieve two, and it was really important to Lisa that Genevieve should attend the same nursery school as Harriet.
"Thankfully we were successful in arranging that and Lisa was able to leave hospital for an hour, as we took Genevieve to her first day . It was very emotional, but being able to do that meant so much to Lisa and Genevieve.”
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Even though Peter had known that the end was near, he was devastated when it came.
“You just don’t believe it will really happen,” he said.
“I was left with two little girls and no matter how much I tried, I could not be Lisa. Yes I was their daddy, but they needed their mummy.
“Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives, but family have been a great source of strength. Harriet is in second form at Glenlola Collegiate and Genevieve has now settled into primary school.
“I am very proud of how the girls have coped and I know Lisa would be too.”
The 5k and 10k race will both take place at Stormont on Sunday May 26 at 10:30am.
To enter Race for Life today visit raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.
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