A huge thank you to Toni who will be shaving her hair off to raise money for Star Throwers in celebration of the life of her sister Terri Read who sadly passed away in July 2023, to sponsor Toni please visit her Justgiving page.
Here is Toni’s story:
“This is my story…it was all the way back in Aug 2014 when l was diagnosed with cervical cancer, l had a radical hysterectomy to fight it at the age of 36 and I’m still having a check-up every year until my final one this year. My Dad, Danny, was diagnosed with kidney cancer shortly after his 60th Birthday in September 2016, after a courageous fight we lost him in May 2018. My Auntie Lynda lost her fight after 10 years with breast cancer in 2017 and at this point, we thought as a family cancer was done with us and it can do one! My Sister Terri was diagnosed with breast cancer during the August 2020 lockdown, and she fell asleep July 2023.
After my fight with cancer was done l took part in the Cancer Research UK events like Race for Life Mud Run with the family, l twice did the Swimathon – 1.5km/80 lengths of a 25-metre pool.l wanted to do something just for my courageous and brave sister Terri, that’s when l came up with the idea of “shaving my hair off”, l have a choice to shave my hair off when many people who have cancer and go through treatment don’t have that choice! l asked a few of my work colleagues what they thought and they said it was a crazy/good idea. I pondered it over that morning and after I finished work, I messaged my friend/hairdresser Cheryl to see if she’d be able to help with my idea and she said, “Yep of course”. I only thought of one charity to do it for, the charity that helped Terri lots during her journey fight with cancer: Star Throwers – Cancer Support Charity.
Since saying that I was doing the sponsored shave, I’ve been thinking what Terri would have thought about my event, just a few words come to mind: ‘crazy’, ‘absolutely nuts’ and ‘bonkers’ to name a few! This is what my mum said about it “She would think you are mad but would be very proud, as am I”.
