A Johnstone woman is set to go the distance for charity by taking on a half-marathon in support of her friend who is battling a brain tumour.
Jenny Morning is hoping to raise thousands of pounds for The Brain Tumour Charity after being inspired by her longtime friend Calum - who she hails as her “hero”.
Calum, who Jenny met at St Paul’s Dramatic Society in Johnstone 21 years ago, has been fighting a brain tumour for six years.
He has undergone 25 months of gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy and had two brain surgeries to fight the disease.
Proud friend Jenny will now be pounding the streets of Renfrewshire for the 13 mile run this weekend in honour of her “inspirational” pal.
Jenny said: “Calum and I met in the year 2000, when we both joined St Paul’s Dramatic Society in Johnstone. Calum took the lead role of Oliver Twist, and we’ve been friends ever since.
“We all have heroes, and I’m very fortunate that mine is one of my closest friends.
“Calum has been dealt one of the cruellest cards life can throw at you, and he has faced these challenges with such strength, resilience and optimism.
“He inspires me every day to be better and to live life to the fullest. His fight has been nothing short of remarkable.”
Calum was first diagnosed in January 2015 when he had a seizure on a plane, and was rushed to hospital in Milan after an emergency landing.
Despite years of difficult treatments, Jenny says Calum truly embraces living life to the full.
Jenny has spent months training for her run this Saturday, which coincides with Brain Tumour Awareness Month.
She added: “I was inspired to run a half marathon at the beginning of the year. It was tough for everyone, and I wanted to give myself a goal to give back.
“Running is something that I do casually, but never long distance, and not only did this give me a focus and a goal, but was something that was also very important to me.
“The snow, ice and rain has been really tough! But having a training plan has given me some much-needed focus and determination.”
Jenny is asking for anyone local who sees her out and about on her run throughout Renfrewshire to give her much-needed cheer of encouragement.
She hopes her half-marathon effort will help raise vital funds and awareness for brain tumour research.
She has already surpassed her target of £2,000 through her JustGiving page.
She added: “Although I’ve been running a bit throughout the last year, it’s been slow and steady, with minimal distance! I’m setting myself this challenge as brain tumours are complex, and often devastating, and research into treating them is woefully underfunded.
“I hope this half marathon will help give support to those who are battling brain tumours, like my friend Calum, who depend on research to give them a fighting chance.”
Katie Sharkey, senior community fundraiser at The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “We are extremely grateful for all the efforts made by Jenny this Brain Tumour Awareness Month. She has set herself a huge challenge this month.
“We know a half marathon is such a big commitment and running one with no big crowds to cheer you on is a mental challenge as well as a physical one. We hope that locally people will cheer her on and support her when they see her out and about training and for her challenge.
“Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of the under 40s and, unlike other cancers, survival rates have not improved over the last 40 years.
“We are leading the way in changing this and truly fighting brain tumours on all fronts through our work.
“We receive no government funding and rely 100 per cent on voluntary donations, so it’s only through the efforts of people like Jenny that we can change these shocking statistics in the future and bring hope to the thousands of people who are diagnosed with a brain tumour every year.”
•To make a donation to Jenny’s fundraising page ahead of her run, click here
