Bell & Uncle Peter

Bell's Yorkshire Peak Challenge.

This is a picture of my daughter Bell and her inspirational Uncle Peter.

Bell was only a few weeks old, and Uncle Peter was only 21, when he was told he had a brain tumour. She has grown up always knowing that her Uncle Peter had cancer and was aware of the various treatments and operations that he had to under go over the years. As many kids do she took it in her stride and asked lots of questions!!!!

Uncle Peter played an important part in Bell's life and she adored him. So like us all she was heart broken when we was told that the cancer treatment was no longer effective and that Peter only had a matter of months left to live.

As a parent I was worried about the impact this would have on her but also wanted her to spend as much quality time with her Uncle Peter as possible. 

In the last few months of Uncle Peter's life she used to visit him as often as she could and wasnt fazed in how he looked or the fact that her larger than life Uncle Peter couldnt get out of bed.  

Uncle Peter was a very positive individual who loved having fun, spending time with his many family and friends, and was grateful for every day he lived! So when he passed away in October 2015 aged just 29,  we were all determined to stay positive and keep his legacy going!

"When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer, you beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live."  This quote summed up Uncle's Peters attitude to his cancer!

At his funeral Uncle Peter requested that instead of flowers that we donated money to his chosen charities.  To date his virgin money giving page has raised  over £6000 which will be shared between Western Park Hospital Cancer Charity and the Children's Brain Tumour Research Charity.

Bell has now decided to do some fundraising herself for Uncle Peter's chosen charities! Within my family its a running joke that to be in the family you have to completed the Yorkshire 3 Peaks, on hearing this Bell wanted to tackle all three there and then! Once I explained how much of a challenge it is she has agreed to take it one peak as a time!!

So with a little help from our family and friends she will attempt to complete the 1st of the 3 Yorkshire Peak, Pen-y-ghent on Sunday 25th September 2016 

Pen-y-ghent may be the smallest of the Yorkshire 3 Peaks but its still, at its peak, 2273ft high! 

That's equivalent to 157 double decker buses stood on top of each other!!

Once down from the peak we will carry on walking to finish at Ribblehead viaduct.  Which is the beginning of the second peak Whernside (this will be her second walking challenge).

The total distance Bell will have to walk is a little over 10 miles!  Which might not sound that far but its the equivalent to walking the length of Wembley football pitch 153 times and lets not forget she has a steep climb to conquer.!

Oh and I almost forgot to point out Bell is only 9!!!!

We're in the process of setting up a just giving page of which we will post details of on this blog.

So as Bell's mum its time for me to leave it here because from now on its Bell's blog to keep you up to date on her training, her thoughts about this exciting challenge and her memories of her Uncle Peter!