On Sunday 23rd February we will take part in the Disney Princess Half Marathon at Disney World, Florida.
This is no ordinary jog in the park; for three busy mums more accustomed to zipping around Grand Cayman on four wheels, training in paradise over the last few months has not been easy; brutally early Sunday morning runs, heavy rain, smothering humidity, the searing tropical temperatures and of course our overall lack of fitness have all combined to lead us to question exactly what about this experience had ever seemed like a good idea…. but there is a very special reason we have stayed the course and will complete those 13.109 miles on 23rd February.
Her name is Hannah Meeson.
Hannah is just 6 years old and has been bravely battling brain cancer since she was 4. We blissfully knew nothing about childhood cancer before we knew Hannah - but now we know that more children are lost to cancer than any other disease, in fact more than many other childhood diseases combined. Before they turn 20 about 1 in 300 boys and 1 in 333 girls will have cancer and every 3 minutes a child is diagnosed. We are all mothers, each blessed with amazing and thankfully healthy young children; we are terrified by these statistics and shocked that so many parents and children are rendered powerless by lack of funding into childhood cancer research.
Every time we struggle out of bed in the dark to train, we each think about Hannah and her parents; we think about their journey, their hopes and their darkest fears.
So on 23rd February we are running for them and to raise awareness for St Baldrick's.
Children can’t fight childhood cancer alone - three minutes from now a child will be diagnosed with cancer and another family will be faced with the very real possibility of losing their child.
Please pledge your support. We ask you to do this for us to make each mile a little easier and to bring Hannah and her family one step closer to a cure.
Nikki Callender, Kim Landry and Claire Thomas