My mother was Dawn by name and Dawn by nature. She shone every day and had an amazing ability to turn our world into a brighter place. Losing her this year was the single most devastating thing to happen in my life.
I am 37, an only child, and fortunate to have always enjoyed a wonderful relationship with my parents. The three of us have done everything together, including working in the marketing and creative agency that I started in 2000.
Mum was a remarkably selfless person. She saw the good in everyone and everything, giving her love freely and openly. Mum battled rheumatoid arthritis for over 50 years and to also be diagnosed with cancer was doubly harsh, but she remained resolutely strong.
Because Mum never really liked my beard, and certainly wouldn’t as long as it is now, it’s a gesture to her and to honour the way she approached life that I’ve decided to shave it off and fundraise for cancer research. Even before Mum knew she was ill, I had thought about fundraising but didn’t act on it. My advice now to anyone, who wants to fundraise, is to stop just thinking about it and get started! You will be amazed by the support you’ll receive from people when you put it out there.
My fundraising goal is $10,000, and I’m working hard to achieve that amount – and more – for the researchers determined to find the answer to cancer. While my Mum initially contracted breast cancer, she passed away from secondary cancer to the liver. Finding the answers to one type of cancer will help to unlock the key to another. It’s vitally important to continue supporting research into this horrible disease so that a cure will be discovered.
There are a lot of people who can’t wait to see my beard of three years gone, or who are just curious about what my chin looks like these days! Even those who don’t want me to shave it off totally understand the cause and support me because they know how special Mum will always be for me.
Support ScottShare your story
Related Posts
