Surrey breast cancer survivor striding for cancer care

Registration is now open for Royal Surrey Charity’s sponsored walk

A fundraiser from Surrey is making strides for cancer care by signing up for an NHS charity’s sponsored walk, after her five-year battle with breast cancer.

Lorraine, 52 from Haslemere, will walk 25K on Sunday 18 September for Royal Surrey Charity’s Stride for Cancer Care, which has recently launched in celebration of 25 years since St Luke’s Cancer Centre in Guildford first opened its doors.

The walk, which starts and finishes at Surrey Sports Park – opposite the Royal Surrey County Hospital – is raising money to support the future of world class cancer care at the centre, which treats people from across Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire. As well as providing vital equipment, the charity supports the redevelopment and refurbishment of wards to ensure the environment is welcoming and comfortable for patients, funds groundbreaking research, and invests in staff wellbeing and development.

Lorraine is taking part in Stride for Cancer Care to support the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust’s dedicated charity, after receiving amazing care from St Luke’s, and also after her mother and father both sadly died of cancer, aged 52 and 78 respectively.

Following Lorraine’s diagnosis in January 2017 – after being called for an early mammogram at age 47 – the mother of four considers herself ‘incredibly lucky’, as without the early mammogram, it’s unlikely the cancer would have been found. She was on her own when she received the results, as she hadn’t been expecting the news, and describes it as ‘scary’ and ‘upsetting’.

In the same week, her brother was rushed to hospital for an emergency operation and was diagnosed with bowel cancer. She said:

“He phoned me and said the doctors had told him that he may not make it, so he needed to make that call. It was heart breaking.”

Lorraine will be on a hormone blocker for another five years and her brother is now doing well and is soon to have what will hopefully be his last operation: “Nobody wants to have cancer and I certainly didn’t want my brother to have it, but it was amazing for us to be able to take our journey together.”

Registration for the walk is now live on the charity’s website, and offers a choice of distances (10K, 15K or 25K). There is an early bird registration fee of £10 for those who sign up in May during National Walking Month. The fee, which will increase to £20 from 1 June, includes a charity t-shirt and finisher’s medal. The charity is encouraging those who sign up to raise a minimum sponsorship target, dependent on the distance they choose.

Sandy Lowry, Event Fundraising Manager at Royal Surrey Charity, said:

“We are thrilled to launch the walk to celebrate the incredible care at St Luke’s Cancer Centre over the past 25 years. Every pound raised from the walk will make a huge difference to those like Lorraine and her brother who are living with cancer. We hope you’ll join us on Sunday 18 September to help make strides for cancer care – now and in the future.”

To sponsor Lorraine, please visit her JustGiving page. 

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