Cancer support charity Maggie’s is inviting you to see your city in a whole new light while raising vital funds to help people with cancer.
Maggie’s Culture Crawl – a 10K sponsored walk taking in iconic and cultural highlights – will take place in Glasgow on 2nd June this year and take in highlights such as the Glasgow Vintage Bus Depot, the Women’s Library in Bridgeton, the Glasgow Science Centre, Clydeside Distillery and the Gallery of Modern Art – with lots of entertainment along the way.
To sign up visit: https://bit.ly/MagsCC23
“Culture Crawl is great fun – it’s a good laugh, but the best bit is that you can help raise money to make sure people with cancer get the support they need.” Julie from Hamilton, who has been supported by Maggie’s Lanarkshire.
In April 2018, it was discovered that Julie, 36, had Hodgkins Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.
The diagnosis was particularly shocking – especially since Julie was pregnant at the time with her second son, Michael, and she was worried that she might not be able to have cancer treatment during her pregnancy.
Julie had been having night sweats and flu-like symptoms, and eventually, breathing problems, but medical staff had first put it down to her pregnancy, before finding that Julie had a large mass pushing on her heart and lungs.
Fortunately, Julie’s consultant discussed with her that she would be able to have treatment during her pregnancy and she would need to have a lengthy course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy – obviously, with treatment frequently monitored to ensure the health of the baby.
It was a terrifying ordeal and the medical team coached Julie through it step by step – week by week until baby Michael was born at 37 weeks. This was a huge relief for Julie as it was thought he could have come as early as 30 weeks into the pregnancy.
Julie explains: “Finding out I had cancer at 26 weeks pregnant was horrifying. I just thought I had a bit of a cold or flu at first or that my pregnancy hormones were making me feel awful. I had itchy skin and night sweats as well, but as symptoms persisted and got worse to the point where eventually I couldn’t breathe, I knew something was very wrong. It then became an emergency situation. That’s when the doctors found out that I had a large mass in the middle of my chest and we found out that it was Hodgkins Lymphoma. Fortunately for me, it was one of the cancers that can be treated in pregnancy.
“My medical team were great for my physical health and for that of the baby but Maggie’s picked up the pieces for me mentally and emotionally. The staff at Maggie’s coached me through and helped me to keep my head above water until the baby finally came.
“They helped me to get my head around losing my hair. My oldest son Iain was only five at the time and he liked to play with my hair, and I was worried about this, but Maggie’s helped me with how to speak with Iain and explain things in a gentle way that wouldn’t frighten him.
“His wee brother, Michael, is now nearly five, but Maggie’s have been there for me every step of the way to guide me through the uncertainty of having cancer and the fear of it coming back.
“For a long, long time, I was acutely aware of every tiny change in my body, but the psychologist at Maggie’s has helped me to find my new normal and enabled me to get on with my life and to go back to work. They’ve helped me to process what happened, and also process having to shield after treatment with my new baby through the pandemic as well because my immune system was low.
“They have helped with everything from how to speak with my employer and handle certain situations because even although cancer treatment stops, you don’t just bounce back to how you were before. Cancer is very shocking, but Maggie’s helps you to live through it and life goes on.”
Julie decided to take part in Culture Crawl with her sisters Jennifer and Caroline and brother, Robert, last year, as a way to give something back to Maggie’s. It was so much fun that she’s signed up to join in again this year.
She adds: “The Culture Crawl is great fun – you see some great Glasgow venues and meet lots of lovely people on the walk. It’s important for me to be able to do something to give back to Maggie’s and help other people like me. I’m doing it again this with my sisters and my friend Becky.”
Her friend, Becky, added: “I’m doing the Culture Crawl for Maggie’s because they gave my friend, Julie, her life back. Maggie’s gave my friend her smile back!”
Everyone who raises money will be making sure that people with cancer and their families and friends get vital support.
Walkers on the Culture Crawl will enjoy entertainment along the way from the start at the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust’s Bridgeton Bus Garage and will be met at the various venues by musicians and dancers along the way.
On reaching the Clydeside Distillery, they will be treated to a dram or two of whisky and music from a 30-strong folk band.
Walkers will finish at the Gallery of Modern Art in the city with more live music from Merchant Sinfonia.
Maggie’s Lanarkshire, Centre Head, Lorrie Cameron, said: “We are delighted to once more be welcoming people to take part in our Culture Crawl event.
“It has always been a highlight of the year with a fantastic warm, friendly and fun atmosphere, but more importantly, as we rely almost entirely on voluntary donations, the funds raised will hugely help us to support people living with cancer.
“Cancer is possibly the most difficult experience of a person’s life and for many people the cost of living crisis has made living with cancer even harder, meaning our professional support is needed now more than ever before.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who takes part.”
To sign up please visit: https://bit.ly/MagsCC23
