The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity is an important organisation for thousands of people diagnosed with cancer all over the country. For 18-year-old Lauren Wiggins the charity is very close to her heart.
On March 17, Bournemouth University student Lauren walked the 14 miles of the Marsden March in the pouring rain. Couple that with the fact that Lauren managed to do this on crutches after tearing a ligament in her knee and that she lost two nails along the way, it sounds even more of a challenge.
She said: “The inspiration for me was the fact the Royal Marsden saved my mum’s life.”
The Wiggins family completed the walk under the banner Tina's Troopers after Lauren's mum Tina was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2012.
Lauren was one of 4,500 people who took part in the march.
She said: “Everyone that was there that day had some connection with cancer and in a way they were all there to beat it - the same as us.”
Lauren said of the volunteers at the event: "They made the day, they were all so happy, you just forget about the weather and just think about why you are doing it all the time.”
Tina has been given the all clear. Lauren said: “She is all healthy. She’s fine. She found the end of the tunnel which is a relief, a big relief.”
Over the past year, Lauren and her family have done a lot to raise money for cancer.
In June last year, a few months after her mum was diagnosed, Lauren took part in Race for Life. Last Christmas the Wiggins family dressed up their house with colourful flashing lights, snowmen, reindeer and blow up Santa Claus, all in aid of the Royal Marsden hospitals.
The London marathon is a challenge Lauren would like to tackle someday but next on her list is a sky dive.
Lauren has recently set up a blog called Dealing with the C Word to help young adults who have been diagnosed with cancer or are close to someone who has.
Lauren describes her experience of her mum's diagnosis as ‘surreal’. She said: “You sit there and you don’t believe this is you or this is happening to you."
During Tina's treatment, Lauren and her brother Charlie had their dad, Spencer, by their side who Lauren has labelled a "hero" after he attended all of her mum's appointments and carried on running his own business at the same time.
You can continue to help Lauren raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity by following the link: http://www.justgiving.com/tinastroopersonthemove.
Read Lauren's blog at http://dealingwiththecword.wordpress.com
Mollie Perella
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