Half Marathon for Cranford Hospice ❤️ In Memory of Dad ❤️

I set myself a goal that I would run a half marathon in 2019 for my 30th birthday, however on 14th Jan 2019 we found out dad had cancer and my future plans and goals changed very quickly.

Only a couple of months later, we discovered he was terminal. I resigned from my job in Perth, packed up my life and moved home to Aotearoa to be with him until the end. Life became very ‘temporary’, not knowing how long I would be in Hawke’s Bay for. Living between family, house sits and short term rentals.. working part time jobs to allow me to spend time with dad.. also throw in a cheeky pandemic, I can safely say my fitness took a backseat.

Our family became very experienced in living day to day as you never knew what each day would bring and the hospice team became a large part of our days. We learnt very quickly how much the hospice support the family as much as the patient and we were so grateful for everything available to us.

Fast forward through many great days and many hard days to 6th November 2020… The day dad went to hospice. He was taken in to try get his pain under control, although I think we knew within days, that hospice was the right place for him and we accepted that he would not return home.

He spent 2 weeks in hospice and although they were extremely challenging, they were beyond beautiful. We were able to stay there every night with him and his family and friends were welcomed to surround him with love. The warm and friendly faces of all the staff and volunteers became family. By having the medical team 24/7, we could forget about the complications of all of the medication and focus solely on just being with dad. Your world really becomes so small when you spend 2 weeks inside the walls of a hospice and it’s such an eye opener of what’s important in life. On 20th November at 4.35am, dad took his final breath. Yet again, our hospice whānau supported us through this and they will forever hold an incredibly special place in our hearts.

I will never forget the day where dad was sitting in his lazyboy chair at the hospice.. he was tired and weak and talking consumed a lot of energy. The family were sitting around him chatting and discussing how grateful we were for the hospice team and what they were doing for us and how we wanted to give back to them. With his head down and his eyes closed, in classic dad nature, he piped up and said “But you can’t just give once, you have to keep giving to them because they will always need it”…. So here I am.

On 7th November 2021, almost a year to the day he entered hospice, I will run in the Tauranga city to surf half marathon and I will be raising money for Cranford Hospice.

I’m doing this for you my daddy!

When I feel like I can’t run anymore, I remember how much pain you endured for an incredibly long time.. and I push through. When I can’t be bothered getting off my bum to go for a run, I remember everything they did for you and all of us.. and I chuck them shoes on.

But I’m also doing it for me!

I feel like I'm a completely different person to the 29yo that set that goal. I may have lost my fitness but I’ve gained so much strength in other ways…I got this!!