When Rachel Kennedy’s mum Eleanor Mcintyre was told her daughter had stage three cancer, she admitted to feeling overwhelmed.
Nobody in her family had ever been diagnosed with the disease before.
She says she is trying to stay strong for her daughter and for her two young grandsons and has received invaluable support from Maggie’s Cancer Centre.
That’s why Eleanor and her family decided to take part in a 50-mile sponsored run that they completed at the weekend to raise over £7500 for the charity.
Eleanor said they also wanted to take part in the event to raise awareness of cervical cancer and stress the importance of getting smear tests. Eleanor said: “We were all wanting to raise awareness of cervical cancer, because Rachel never really had many symptoms, so this is really about raising awareness about listening to your body and don’t be scared to go to the doctors and don’t fear the smear.
“They have been doing them during the pandemic, but Rachel really just wanted to raise awareness of it for other people and doesn’t want other people to go through it.”
Eleanor, who stays in Whitburn, said it’s been very hard for her and the rest of Rachel’s family to watch her suffer through tremendous pain and gruelling treatments.
Rachel’s other sister Cheryl was at hospital to support her while the family completed the run, after clocking up miles in the weeks before . But she said organising it had boosted the family’s moral and given them something to focus on.
Eleanor continued: “It’s hard, there isn’t anything that can prepare you, you don’t know how you’re going to feel or how you’re going to cope but I went into Maggie’s and they have been fab.
“They said just take each day at a time or hour-by-hour. Just break it down into what you can manage. They have been really supportive, absolutely fantastic.
“The support from everybody has been great and has made a big difference.
“She’s received well wishes from all over the country and the world actually, which has been amazing.”
Eleanor said her family wanted to rally round and show support for Rachel while raising money at the same time.
“It has boosted everyone’s morale and it gets everybody out for their mental health and it had such a great effect on everybody it’s been amazing.”
Eleanor says she would encourage more people to get involved in fundraising events to help everyone who has been touched by cancer.
She added: “There’s another one this month for Cancer Research and Macmillan Cancer and people are looking for something to do for their own sanity and they can do it for other people they have come across too, like grannies, aunties, mums and daughters.”
