Mum’s inspirational charity trek in memory of loved ones
Mother-of-two Sally Wagstaff is in training to cycle 300km in India to raise vital funds for Cancer Research.
And that’s not all, the former naval nurse will be completing the trek less than a year after having a total hip replacement in a bid to raise £4,000 for the Stan Bowley Trust, a charity that’s dedicated to advancing cancer treatment.
The trek will start in October and Sally, who runs Sally Wagstaff Aesthetics in Lichfield, Staffordshire, is rising to the challenge in memory of two special people and to raise funds to help the charity equip themselves with the CyberKnife.
This cutting-edge robotic radiotherapy technology represents a new hope for many cancer patients and underscores the importance of Sally's fundraising efforts as it is able to target previously untreatable tumours with precision, sparing healthy tissues from damage.
Sally, of Kings Bromley, said: “I lost my brother several years ago to oesophageal cancer, a very good friend to breast cancer, and I have other family members and friends who have been affected by this devastating disease.
“Who knows which of those may have been helped by the CyberKnife?”
Despite not being a seasoned cyclist and having a full-hip replacement, Sally is determined to push herself to achieve her charity goal and is calling on Staffordshire families to help her overcome the first hurdle – to hit her fundraising target to take part.
“I do like pushing myself, and I am really looking forward to what I'm hoping will be an incredible experience,” she added.
The biggest hurdle, she believes, is raising the necessary funds to secure her place on the trek.
Sally went on to say: “I've already paid £310 to commit, and my JustGiving page has raised over £1.3k so far which is brilliant. But I still have a fairly eye-watering £2,600 to raise before I go! I’d love it if readers would help me to hit my target, please!”
Sally's story is a powerful reminder of the devastating impact of cancer and the need for more cutting-edge research and technology like the groundbreaking CyberKnife.
Cancer affects one in every two people during their lifetime. To support Sally and the Stan Bowley Trust to purchase life-saving treatments like CyberKnife, please visit her JustGiving page: justgiving.com/fundraising/Sally-Wagstaff2?
By Justine Halifax - Contributor
