Daniel Kerley to run for Macmillan
Daniel Kerley is running the Robin Hood Half Marathon for Macmillan in Memory of his father, Peter.
Daniel explains he wanted to do something and have a focus, so decided to sign up to run the Robin Hood Half Marathon for Macmillan; he shares his thoughts at the time “I was thinking, will I be running with Dad there or will I be running in memory of him?”
Last summer his father’s persistent cough hadn’t responded to antibiotics, and so Daniel was concerned that his father’s diagnosis would prove to be cancer; in June 2013 Daniel’s father started chemotherapy for lung cancer, which caused him exhaustion and fatigue for ten days at a time. On completion his father took further medication – a treatment which Daniel remembers as being less debilitating “Although dad lost his hair through treatment, dad was dad again.”
Daniel’s uncle had passed away to lung cancer two year’s previously and so when his father’s cough returned in May this year he and his family were upset to learn that it was aggressive. Daniel explains “When he was good you kind of forgot he was ill.” Daniel describes his father as a fit man and a non-smoker. The family received support via Macmillan and Daniel recalls the regular contact his parents had with their nurse - who was only a phone call away at times of struggle. “Their Macmillan nurse was fantastic and mum and dad would always praise how good she was –she always had an answer in support.”
Daniel’s father, Peter Kerley aged 55, passed away on Sunday 27 July, with his family with him. Daniel remembers prior to his father passing away “My dad said to me, be proud of your name.”
It will only be nine weeks on Sunday 28 September, when Daniel runs in memory of his father, and he’s chosen to raise funds for Macmillan and to support more families like his. Daniel will be running with his brother Adam, Uncle and cousins. Daniel shares “We’ll start off as a family and then run our own race!” Other members of their family will be there to cheer them on in memory of his father too. Daniel states “If you can help or support, listen to or discuss my story, we could help more people.”