Great Notley: Sign up for Race for Life (From Braintree and Witham Times)

Great Notley: Sign up for Race for Life

4:00pm Tuesday 30th June 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

Mum of four Leeann Fugeman is gearing up for the Race for Life which will take place in Great Notley this weekend.

She will be taking on the 5km charity walk in aid of Cancer Research UK and, like all the women taking part, she has a special reason why she signed up.

Mrs Fugeman, of Gambles Green, Terling, wrote about her reason to take part in her local parish magazine.

She has raised about £400 so far and said: "I'm looking forward to it and am just trying to get back to normal, you have to be positive.

"I want to thank those who have supported me I have had some wonderful sponsorship."

HER STORY:

"Leeann, David, Jordan, Gemma, Aaron and Ocean Fugeman would like to thank all our friends and neighbours for their help and support over the last year.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2008, after finding a lump whilst on holiday.

'Why me?' were some of the first thoughts that came to mind. After seeing my consultant I realised just how serious this illness was, and just how many types and stages there are. Luckily for me I was offered surgery to remove the tumour and have reconstruction which was the right decision for me.

The surgery was successful and when I had healed they proceeded with six sessions of chemotherapy which took me off my feet for many weeks.

I had my last chemo just before Christmas which left me very poorly and weak whilst trying to organise Christmas for my four children.

After an unusually quiet Christmas it was time for three weeks of radiotherapy.

The daily commute to Colchester was tiring, adding on top the discomfort of the treatment by the end of the three weeks I was exhausted and was looking forward to my holiday booked for April.

Before going on holiday I was given the fantastic news of being in remission which only leaves me taking various drugs for the next five years, which after last year seemed an easy option. Now I am back home and feeling a little more like me, trying to find some energy to cope with family life.

As most cancer patients will agree cancer doesn’t stop even when you are given the all clear.

With ongoing treatments and appointments, I am now having physiotherapy, treatment for lymphoedema and have found help and support from the Helen Rollason Cancer Charity that has helped with much needed counselling and relaxing treatments.

Too keep me going, I often recount the words from a card that I received early on, on my journey: “She’s mother, she’s daughter, she’s sister, she’s wife, she’s a warrior with courage and survival in sight, her body and soul have been pushed to the brink, but she smiles through it all, as she fights she thinks pink!"

Being a energetic person normally, I am finding things very tiring but have decided to take the bull by the horns and have booked to do the Race for Life at Great Notley Discovery Centre on July 5."

To sponsor Mrs Fugeman visit Terling Village Stores or http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/leeannfugeman To find out more about Race for Life visit http://www.raceforlife.org/default.aspx

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)