I've been away on holiday in
China for the past two weeks which has given me some time to reflect on LEJOG
and the charity fundraising efforts. A couple of things have rattled away in my
mind as we sauntered through pagodas and mused our way through menus that meant
very little in English, but most of all was the fact that I hadn't introduced
you properly to one of the people whose memory spurs me on in the ride and to
raise money for charity, Lisa Smith.
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/CycleOfOurLives
Lisa
suffered from Cystic Fibrosis ("CF") and if you've not heard of CF
before, it's a particularly nasty genetic condition. One in 25 of us
carry the gene and if two carriers have a child, there is a good chance their
baby will inherit the CF condition; approximately one in 2,500 people end up
with CF. If you suffer from CF, your body secretes a sticky mucus,
coating your lungs, intestines, pancreas and other organs besides, the sticky
mucus clogs up the body and makes it more susceptible to disease and whilst
treatments have improved, there is currently no cure and it tragically cuts
short lives, half of people affected may make their 40th birthday, but not
without spending a lot of time in hospital.
Now at
this point, I'll hand over to Carla who was keen to write about Lisa (having
known her long before I did), here's Carla's blog:
If you knew Lisa in any capacity, you were truly one of the
'lucky ones'! To me, Lisa was an inspiring
friend who loved food, friends and sharing good times. She lived a full and
happy life thanks to her family and husband who have an equally inspiring
strength of character that I admire. She achieved wonderful things, not least
to mention a first class honours in her degree.
Lisa passed
away in 2013 after fighting like no other against CF (Cystic Fibrosis).
Lisa was phenomenal throughout and the world is a worse place without her
kind heart and inspirational strength. She was loved and loved others more than
words can express.
Mike and Lisa
had a particular interest that was very similar and that was food! Every time Mike and I dined with Lisa and
Craig, Mike would comment on how Lisa enjoys good food like him and wished I'd
eat more steak, chocolate brownies etc that Lisa would enjoy. In later months
when Lisa was in Southampton General for extended periods of time Mike and I
would cook Lisa's favourite lasagne, with garlic bread, wrap it all in foil and
quickly drive on over to the hospital to enjoy dinner altogether. We would all
have a chuckle as I would offer salad and Lisa would literally give me a look
of death and then smile as if to say, don't contaminate my dinner please!
When I first met Lisa we were at college together. Lisa and I studied Geography A-Level and whilst we would sit together, Lisa always listened more intently and I would be preoccupied with entertaining the class! It was always worth it as Lisa had the most infectious laugh that filled the room and a chuckle that made my messing around worthwhile.
The first time
I had any understanding of the illness that Lisa lived with every day was when
she told me she wouldn't be in college the following week as she was off to
hospital for her course of antibiotics. Lisa wasn't cagey, but gave little
information and left me feeling that I shouldn't ask too many questions. My
only instruction was that if I wanted to visit her that week was to bring her
some of the rice crispy cake from the college canteen that she was so fond of!
Of course I obliged, spent a few hours with Lisa that week and after we went
back to normal.
Several years
passed before I had any real understanding of CF and how ill it could
potentially make Lisa in years to come. Looking back on this now, I wish I had
read more and understood CF in greater detail, but I always felt that CF did
not define Lisa. It was something that she managed well and therefore kept
private so that her life remained full and full. She never moaned, she never grumbled, she
kept it away from everyday life as much as she possibly could.
Lisa never
drank alcohol when we partied in our late teens and early twenties. Instead she
would always offer to be the dedicated driver and I have lost count of the
number of times she enjoyed a great night out with us. Lisa would always be happy to drive in
exchange for a 'cheese toastie' on the return home at the end of the night! Normally my drop off was first and so I have
to thank my parents for the number of cheese toasties that were consumed over
the years as they were for everyone and I think this was Lisa's favourite part
of the night as we would all chatter and reflect on the events. Of course Lisa's was always the most accurate
account of what actually happened!
I don't want
to dwell on the last year of Lisa's life. They were hard and those closest to
her, particularly Lisa's husband, parents and sister amazed Mike and I with
their unwavering strength and love. Even throughout that, Lisa faced up
to CF with incredible bravery, she didn’t show any fear, never uttered an ill
word, despite a long wait for a lung transplant and long spells in hospital.
If through
Mike's bike ride the profile of CF can be raised and further research can move
towards a cure, or even improvements then every minute of Mike's challenge and
preparation will have been worthwhile. Lisa would think we're bonkers, but she
would laugh when we told her and to hear that laugh again would just be
amazing.
Please show
your support no matter how big or small. Every penny supports people like Lisa.
We are all eternally grateful of how well Lisa was looked after and hope that
our fundraising efforts enable others to receive the same.
So please dig deep and donate now.
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