Ellena's London Marathon fundraiser

Running in memory of Mum and for Ovacome

Ovarian cancer is an absolute b*tch. So, when mum received her diagnosis in late 2022, I knew that I wouldn't have her for much longer.  After a brave 3 year fight, which included the birth of two grandchildren, a rescheduled wedding, and a few family holidays, mum died in August 2025, 3 weeks after becoming a Nanny for the second time. 

She knew that I had a ballot place for the London Marathon, although couldn't understand why I'd bother running that far!  And so, in honour of that inspirational mentality, I'm ploughing ahead with the marathon (9 months post partum!) and I'm fundraising for Ovacome! 

Mum was so grateful for the support she had from her local centre. She looked forward to the monthly meet ups with women in similar situations to hers, chatting about all things cancer and non-cancer related.  She found moments of relaxation in the massages, joy whilst eating cake at the Christmas parties, and importantly, felt comfort in the friendships she made there. She told me all about the activities and events they held, and they made her smile. That's why it's important to me to use this opportunity to raise money for Ovacome (who receive no government funding so every donation makes a difference), who welcomed my mum into the community and provided expert support and trustworthy information to her when she needed it.  Without Ovacome, I truly believe my mum's final years would've been even harder. 

So, I'm asking for your support! By donating you'll be helping families like mine to navigate the horrendousness of illness and loss. There's nothing I can do to change what happened to our family, but helping to bring some bits of joy to others would've been what mum would've wanted. And I really don't fancy doing the marathon tbh, so it is a bit of a pain in the butt-make it worth it please!!

(If you can spare a few pounds to support my marathon challenge, you’ll be helping someone access life-changing support when they need it most. Just £28 could provide an hour of 1-1 specialist support for someone affected by ovarian cancer. £124 could cover the cost of running an in-person support group session for 12 people.)

Help me make a difference. Share this page with your friends, family, colleagues, and on social media to help spread the word.

Thank you! 💙