Words can’t express our gratitude to Andrew Bailey for his fundraising efforts since 2012.  Andrew began fundraising for GRACE because his beautiful mother Anne Bailey was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  Although Anne sadly died this year she was a true survivor. Like many women her cancer was advanced at diagnosis and she underwent many different and grueling chemotherapy regimes and several complex surgeries, but she made the most of the time she had between treatments and was a total inspiration to those who treated her and whose paths she crossed in life.

Fundraising for GRACE became a Bailey Family occupation.  Anne had coffee mornings trying to stay calm while Andrew ran ever more dangerous marathons.  He even roped in his girlfriend Hetty who ran her first ever marathon for GRACE; Andrew’s sister Louise also contributed by having her employer Wates make a big donation to GRACE, when she was employee of the year!  We are honoured to have had such generous support from this amazing family, often when their Mum must have been in treatment and quite poorly.

In summary, Andrew started off with the Berlin Marathon in September 2012, then persuaded Hetty to run a half marathon with him at the Eden Project in Cornwall.  This was followed by Laugavegur Ultramarathon in Iceland in July 2014. Hetty then ran her first solo Marathon in March 2015. We were pleased to see that she chose a Barcelona, rather less dangerous than Andrew’s choices.  Next on his list was the Tromso Skyracer Ultra marathon in August in 2015 and finally the Mont Blanc 80 km in May 2016. After which Andrew promised his Mum that was it and he would now take to his bicycle.

In total Andrew, with some help from Hetty has raised over £28,000 for GRACE, – sometimes putting himself in danger to do so….. for which we congratulate and thank him. Fundraising like has helped us to establish a real research presence and will work tirelessly to save the lives of women like his Mum.