Mum of four, Emma, 51, is running in memory of her dad, Arthur, who passed away in 1986 and her mum, Pauline, who died in 2018.
She was just 13 when Arthur died, five years after being diagnosed with lung cancer. He was first diagnosed in 1981, just before her eighth birthday. Emma recalls him being away from home for long periods of time for treatment, but his illness was not openly spoken about around her. She says: “I was aware that he had cancer, but it all seemed like a big secret and nobody ever spoke about it at all in my presence. I suspect it was their way of trying to protect me.”
Despite surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which were initially deemed successful, his cancer returned. He suffered two relapses, the last in 1985 when the cancer came back in both lungs. Arthur passed away following a massive stroke in August 1986 at the age of 50.
During a scan to investigate a cyst on Pauline’s bladder, a shadow was spotted on her liver. She had a third of her liver removed, but the cancer had already spread and she was too frail for chemo. She was in and out of hospital and eventually passed away while in hospice care, a few months after her diagnosis at the age of 75.
Emma says: “I remember going to visit mum about 10 days before she died. She was sitting up in bed, laughing and joking, and eating jelly and ice cream. Looking back, I feel as if she made every effort that day to leave me with some good memories. The rest of the time, it was extremely hard to see her – it seemed as though she was wasting away before our eyes and I found this very traumatic. I didn’t want to see her like that and to be honest, when my brother called to tell me that she had passed away, I felt a sense of relief.”
Emma’s experiences with her parents’ deaths have had a big impact on her. While she acknowledges that her dad’s death shaped her, it did not affect her because her mum had shielded her so much from the grief. As a result, she has followed her mum’s lead in coping with her loss by simply getting on with life. It has not been easy.
Now, Emma wants to do something that will make a difference to other families going through what she has been through and, as she takes on the challenge of the London Marathon, she hopes her parents will be proud of her.
She says: “Cancer affects so many lives and the ripple effects are enormous. Back when my dad was diagnosed, the statistics were that one in four people would get cancer in their lifetime. Now that figure is one in two. That’s why cancer research is so vital. More research is needed to improve outcomes for the very many people who will be affected by this disease in the future. So much has been discovered in the years since my dad passed away – perhaps he would have had a very different experience or outcome if he had been treated today.”
Emma has already raised over £2000 for The Institute of Cancer Research and hopes this figure will rise still further. She is glad to be doing something that links her to her mum and dad.
Rachael Potter, Sports and Challenge Events Officer at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: “We’re really grateful to have the support of Emma, and all of the #teamICR runners at this year’s London Marathon. Getting out there and training for a marathon, while also attempting to hit a fundraising target, is no easy feat, and we’ve been so impressed by the dedication and commitment of our supporters.
“We hope Emma and all our runners will be spurred on by the knowledge that they’re helping to make a difference for people affected by cancer. Every pound raised means that our research can keep moving forward, and every step taken towards that finish line brings our researchers one step closer to defeating cancer.”
To support Emma and raise funds for our vital research, visit: Emma's fundraising page