Our dedicated fundraiser Rebecca first got in touch after being treated at the intensive care unit (ICU) at Royal Surrey County Hospital.

Rebecca on getting back to sport after surgery 

“One moment I was being treated for colitis; the next I’d found out I had stage three bowel cancer.”

Rebecca, then 30, underwent major surgery to remove four tumours and was left with a permanent stoma. Less than two months’ later, she was readmitted after having a drug-induced seizure that caused her heart to stop four times. Her family were told to prepare for the worst.

After another two weeks in hospital, Rebecca was back at home, recovering with her family and dreaming of being able to get back into sports.

“I’ve always loved sports and after my operation I wanted to know when I’d be able to run again. I was devastated to hear that after what I’d been through, it was unlikely I’d run again. For me, sport has always been a way to clear my head and escape”.

Returning to sport

Incredibly, six months after first receiving her first diagnosis, Rebecca walked her first kilometre and jogged the same distance for the first time just two months later.

“I forget everything when I’m running. It’s tough and it has been hard to get to this point but the pain is less than the pain I was in before surgery.”

Since then, she’s completed various running, swimming, triathlon challenges and most recently, a half marathon, all to raise money for those being treated in intensive care. 

“Our NHS is incredible. We never know when we might need to go to hospital, or when a loved one may need treatment. To go from being relatively healthy to be told I may never run again was the end of my world. I am so grateful for the care I received: I wouldn’t be here without the ICU team at Royal Surrey County Hospital.”

With your support, we can make sure more people like Rebecca receive exceptional care. 

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