Runners across Plymouth will be lacing up for St Luke’s on Sunday 11 May as they get ready to take to the streets of Plymouth for Run Plymouth’s half marathon, 10km and 5km at Britain’s Ocean City Running Festival. We will be meeting some of the runners who will be taking on the challenge in aid of St Luke’s as they share their stories.
Lucy Smith, from Wembury, will be running the half marathon along with her son Jake. The pair will be running in memory of Lucy’s mother, who sadly died back in 2016.
“My Mum was a wonderful person who is greatly missed by all her family and friends,” she said. “Lots of people may recognise her as she was a supply teacher across Plymouth for more than 20 years. Even after early retirement from her first bout of cancer she missed being in the classroom so much she used to come in and help at the school I worked in.”
It was in 2016 that Lucy’s mum’s cancer returned for a third time and she was cared for first at Derriford Hospital before being transferred to our specialist unit at Turnchapel.
“Her last 24 hours of life were made so much more comfortable and peaceful by the amazing staff at St Luke’s. After having been in hospital for weeks I can remember as we arrived by ambulance to St Luke’s we both felt a sense of relief and calmness. Losing someone so special to you is heartbreaking but the atmosphere and care at St Luke’s is something that I will always remember and be so grateful that my Mum did finally get there. Mum has a leaf on the memory tree and we have been back a few times for events to spend time in the lounge and speak to other families who have lost loved ones.”
Lucy’s son Jake will be joining her for the race. Sadly, a year ago to the date of the half marathon, Jake’s Great Grandad also died. He received support from our care teams in his final days.
Jake previously worked for First Care Ambulance service and therefore regularly transported patients to and from Turnchapel so saw first hand our compassionate care in action. The race will be the perfect opportunity for the mother and son duo to honour their family members while raising money to support other families going through something similar.
“I used to absolutely hate running when I was younger and would avoid it at all costs but after having completed a few CRUK Race for Life events I realised that running actually made me feel great and I could combine it with raising funds for charities that are important to me,” Lucy said. “Although I know I won’t be getting any personal bests, I will hopefully get to the finish line with a big sense of achievement knowing I am supporting such a worthy cause.”
Fellow runner Tayler will be keeping up the family theme as he will be lacing up with around 13 other family members and friends on Sunday as they all run in memory of his dad, Andy Curno, who sadly died in November.
28-year-old Tayler from Plympton will be running with his sister Maddi Curno, brother James Warren, brother-in-law Josh Abbott, Uncle Ty Nelson, cousins Erin Nelson, Cerys Nelson, Hannah Notman and her husband along with friends Andy Notman, Josh Coles, Tom Mullen, Ross Williams, Jack Holderness and Owen Head.
The team have already raised over £3,000 for St Luke’s, which will provide a package of care at home for three other families going through something similar. To Tayler, it is a way of saying thank you for the care his father received following his diagnosis of Stage 4 Bowel Cancer.
“I can’t thank St Luke’s enough for the love and care they provided for my dad and family around him in the short amount of time we had up there,” he said. “We spent around 4 days at St Luke’s and the team was fantastic. Constantly checking in on him, making sure he was comfortable as can be. While also providing us with food and drinks and giving us extra chairs or something to sleep on so we could spend our final moments together. It didn’t feel like a hospice, more like a place of comfort. He had a bay window looking across the Plymouth sound and if we needed to have a moment to ourself we could have a walk to the gardens overlooking the sea. It just helped to take your mind off the real world for a split second.”
On Sunday it will be memories spurring Tayler on, as he remembers the cherished moments he shared with his dad growing up.
“My dad was the best dad I could have ever asked for. He was loving, kind, funny and just had this warm presence when he walked into a room. People just got along with him and laughed at his jokes. He was a family man, and was usually referred to as a gentle giant. I have so many memories I can name in the 28 years we had together. From teaching me volleyball, camping trips and many more. One of my favourite memories was last summer when he fought so hard to get out of hospital for the England Euro finals which fell on my Birthday and managed to get to the pub with me.”
It was his dad’s jokes and light-hearted banter that encouraged Tayler to first sign up for the half marathon.
“Before my dad passed away he joked about saying that he had completed the half marathon one year on no training and I wouldn’t ever do it! After he passed it made sense to prove him wrong and of course give something back to St Luke’s for the care and support the team provided for him and all of us around him at the time. On top of that I’ll now be able to say I have finally completed a half marathon too!”
Follow Tayler’s fundraising here.
Mum of two, Samantha Furniss will be running the half marathon distance in memory of her own mother, Alyson Selby, who died in April last year.
Alyson was cared for by our Urgent Care Service, who provided her with specialist care in the comfort of her own home. It was this care that has spurred Samantha on to raise over £1,000 for St Luke’s, to help another local family in need.
She said: “In the last few weeks of her life, the St Luke’s Urgent Care Service were fantastic at helping to look after Mum but also us. They came in to help with her care once a day, but were also a lifeline if we needed to speak with any medical professionals. The team were lovely and really understood our worries and concerns. They made us feel like they were there for us as well for Mum.”
Alyson was a former Nurse and Teaching Assistant and lived in Torpoint with her Samantha’s dad, Andy.
“She was the rock of our family, always giving unconditional love and support. Losing her has been heartbreaking and something we’re still learning to live with a year on. We have many happy memories of family holidays to Spain and Florida, shopping trips with her and my sisters and trips just Mum and I to Theatre Royal Plymouth to see the latest show to visit.”
Samantha admits that running doesn’t come naturally to her, so completing the half marathon will be taking her out of her comfort zone, but she is grateful to all those who have sponsored her so far.
“Knowing that it means the Urgent Care Service team can support a local family in need is incredible and makes the pain of 13.1miles worthwhile! The training has been hard, but knowing this money will help has kept me going.”
Follow Samantha’s fundraising here.
Danni Parkes is no stranger to half marathons, as Sunday’s half marathon marks her sixth in six weeks all in memory of her 23-year-old cousin Toby Brann, who died just over a year ago.
In his final weeks Toby was cared for by our St Luke’s at home team, giving him the opportunity to make lasting memories with his loved ones, including granting his wish of watching his home team Plymouth Argyle play at home against Ipswich.
Danni, who was born in Plymouth, but currently lives in Lincoln, is currently completing her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and is training to become a Clinical Psychologist. She decided on the challenge as a way of raising money for St Luke’s, while also remembering Toby and the special person he was.
She said: “Initially, I was going to do a marathon one year after he passed, but then I realised that was going to be difficult to train for alongside my studies, so my plans escalated and I got ahead of myself, and before I knew it, I had signed up to six half marathons six weekends in a row, ending in Plymouth.”
“Toby was 23 when he died, definitely a life stolen too early. He was an absolute ray of sunshine. It will have been a year since Toby passing away, and I aim to finish up in Plymouth with the support of family and everyone who knew and loved Toby,” she added.
Seeing the support Toby and the family received, encouraged Danni to want to play her part in honouring his memory while raising funds so that others like Toby can receive the same care and support.
She said: “I was able to see firsthand how much St Luke’s supported my family. When I visited the hospice myself, I saw how much brightness the staff brought, and I have only heard positive things about the care they provide. I had not realised how much of a huge patch St Luke’s covers, and it is commendable the work that the staff do.”
Follow Danni’s fundraising here.
We would like to say good luck to all our runners taking part in Britain’s Ocean City Running Festival on Sunday 11 May, there will be more than 80 of you lacing up for either the half, 10k or 5k events. So far the combined fundraising total has already hit £25,000, which will enable our teams to care for over 25 patients and families at home at a time they need it the most, so you can see what a difference you are all making even before doing up your laces. We will be up on the Hoe supporting all our runners and cheering you on as you go past. If you have been inspired to take part next year or run a different race for St Luke’s then we would love to hear from you.
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