funDraising – it’s not ‘fun’ – the ‘d’ stands for desperate

I am starting to think that people assume that we are raising money for the fun of it.  Not me; my friends and family have been wonderfully supportive of my efforts – but recently I have been trying to help my friend and fellow Cuba cyclist, Kate, to reach her target. I have sent out emails to various business groups we have both been/are involved in – and the result has been A Resounding Silence from the majority of the recipients. Not all – but most.

And it’s  A Resounding Silence that makes me cross. And VERY disappointed. And very upset. It’s enough to make you cry. We are not fund raising for ourselves! This is not about personal gain. We are not fund raising because it’s ‘fun’. We are fund raising because the situation is desperate.

So it’s upsetting when people who you KNOW could afford a fiver, well – they just don’t. And yes, I know everyone has their own charity – but it doesn’t help me feeling that a tiny donation – a pound even? – would be kind. We are supposed to be a team – business networking is supposed to create that. Well. Pfft! To say I am disappointed with the Business Network ‘support’ is a huge understatement.

Check this out – a woman dies EVERY TEN HOURS of ovarian cancer…every ten hours! FFS!! IT’S ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU SCREAM WITH TERROR!

The treatment of ovarian cancer has not changed much in the last 10 years. This is not a good thing. EVERYTHING else has changed in that time. We have mobile phones that we can see each other when we call – we have electric cars; we have microwave ovens; using a machine-brain interface, researchers are making it possible for otherwise paralyzed humans to control neuroprostheses – essentially mechanical limbs that respond to human thought – allowing them to walk; the Eye of Gaia, a billion-pixel telescope will be sent into space this year to begin photographing and mapping the universe on a scale that was recently impossible; The Mars Science Laboratory – by August 2012, the next mission to Mars will reach the Martian surface with a new rover named Curiosity focusing on whether Mars could ever have supported life, and whether it might be able to in the future.

I ask this – is it more important to see if Mars ever supported life or is it more important to make life that we have already, less agonising when we pass or less agonising to survive??

Women who die of ovarian cancer do NOT go “gentle into that good night". They go kicking and screaming – they don’t want to die. Usually they are far too young – in my experience anyway. They leave behind children, husbands – life. But it takes them. It takes them and it does it in a hideous and painful way. Death by ovarian cancer us NOT a gentle passing.

So please. PLEASE help us? No donation is too small – yes – you have heard it all before, but every time you hear it, it’s meant. Every single charity DOES need and deserve our help. But in this instance, we are asking for just a little donation. EVERYONE will either suffer cancer themselves in their lives or have a dear relative or friend suffer it.

Kate’s justgiving address is HERE – please – if you can – as I said; no donation is too small.

Thank you. And thank you for reading too – and my apologies for the rage, but I feel so strongly about this…

women rule!

Between freelance work, which is buzzing merrily along at last [fingers firmly crossed about THAT - look! I even placed an advert! - my self confidence is at LAST reappearing.] And fund raising for Cuba and waiting for my check-up and trying [with limited success I might add] to TRAIN for Cuba, I haven’t much thought about an update on here. But due to some gentle nagging from various parties, here I am again.

I think the most important thing to the majority of followers of this rather lazily updated blog is that I am still NED! I had my check-up on the 11 June – it was the last 6 monthly check up I ever hope to have. In August, I reach my ‘5 year all clear’ [scary!] so my next one is in a year. Changing over to an annual check up is strangely disturbing. Like letting go of the hand that is supporting you. One wobbles a bit at first. I am still wavering between relief and panic. Mostly panic. Which I will get over. I still have a large risk of recurrence – but I also still have my amazing cancer team at the RD&E. So. Not thinking too much about that.

In other news, I have made it to the semi-finals of the Venus Awards! Devon page here. My category is sponsored by The Old Bag Company. For the Inspirational Woman category, there were 307 nominations. I am so touched to have made it through to the semi finals! Amazing. I am not quite sure how many semi-finalists there are, but at the end of the day, just making it through AND being nominated at all is such an honour. Thank you Rita and sundry other friends for nominating me!

And I am cycling! Training for the 400km across Cuba – I even have a new bike, kindly sold to me at a stupid price by my fellow cyclist, Kate. This weekend coming, we will be sallying forth to do the 60 mile Force Cancer Charity ride. I am convinced I haven’t trained enough, but hey ho – we will do it! Check out the shirt design by Chameleon Design! This is Kate and me at the training weekend in the Cotswolds. Good fun!

Other good news is that I have beaten my fundraising target! Thank you SO much all of you who went to brunches, bought raffle tickets, appeared at events and donated raffle prizes. It does mean a lot to me, and I note every single donation, no matter how small – every little helps! Thank you all!