A group of colleagues at a Plymouth café are set to take on the city’s half marathon to raise funds for Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) and Teenagers and Young Adults with Cancer (TYAC).
More than 10 members of staff from the Early Bird café will be lacing up their running shoes on Sunday (April 28) for the two organisations, with one of the team having been supported by them at different points of her life.
Lücy Gibbons, 19, was treated at Bristol Children's Hospital, which is supported by CCLG, where she and her family saw first-hand the importance of CCLG's work.
She said:
CCLG supported Bristol Children's Hospital, which is where I was treated, and I've spoken to people on the medical team about them.
Without their work, I wouldn’t be here, so I really wanted to give back somehow. Running’s always been a big part of my life, and, despite the chaos, I want to do this half marathon whilst I’m still healthy enough, too.
Lücy’s colleagues at Early Bird, where she’s worked for nine months, have been providing support to her while she undergoes tests to confirm the specifics of her new diagnosis. She said the close-knit group leapt at the chance to fundraise for organisations close to her heart.
She explained:
They're all like family, they’re the best people. Outside of work, we're always together.
The owners, Debbie and Rob [Stander] are just such good people. They just always want to help. Early Bird’s been the best support system over the last few months.
She continued: “A lot of money is coming in and everyone's getting really excited. Every time we come into work, it's the first topic of the morning.
“I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to ask to fundraise with, they really want to make a difference. It'll be a hard day, but I think it'll be really rewarding.”
Debbie and Rob Stander, owners of Early Bird, which has venues on Mayflower Street and Mutley Plain, are sponsoring the team and supplementing the total raised with additional fundraising on the day of the event.
Debbie said that as so many of their staff wanted to run and raise funds, they and closing both cafés on the day to enable them all to do so.
She added:
Lücy never fails to inspire everyone around her with her incredible appetite for life, whether it be running, climbing, mountain rescue, surfing, photography or bringing her infectious smile into work at the Early Bird.
We know how dear to Lücy’s heart these organisations are and their impact on so many people.
Good luck, Team Early Bird, you are all incredible.
Using the fundraising as a platform to do so, Lücy is equally determined to raise awareness of cancer in children and young people, its long-term impact and the importance of developing new treatments.
She said:
There’s a stigma around talking about cancer, particularly when it involves children and young people.
My original diagnosis caused various problems growing up which has led to me having different types of treatments, surgeries and therapies.
This whole experience has always been hard to talk about, but recently I realised it's not something to be ashamed of, you shouldn't really hide it. If anything, you should be proud of it.
I have this platform to raise a lot of awareness, so why shouldn't I.
I just hope more people can be open to learning about it because I feel like a lot of people just shy away from it and that clearly does need to change.
As she awaits the specifics of her new diagnosis, Lücy is also keen to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in young people, and to emphasise the importance of them accessing healthcare support if they’re worried about their health.
Recently, when she felt a pain in her arm, she initially put it down to a pulled muscle. However, when a small lump later appeared, she knew she should get it checked out.
She said:
You know your body and you just need to listen to, rather than ignore, the symptoms because an early catch can literally save people's lives.
Even if it’s something that you think is normal, but you have a gut feeling, just get it checked.
The team have already raised nearly £2,000, and now aim to raise over £3,000 in total.