A Newbridge man has been inspired by his late mother’s brain tumour battle to run seven races for charity.
Dominic Taylor’s Magnificent Seven challenge began last month at Blackpool’s Great North West Half Marathon and the keen runner will continue his charity fundraising effort in the coming months – including Caerphilly town’s second 10k race in June.
Dominic is running the races in aid of Brain Tumour Research.
He is taking on the challenge in memory of his mother, who passed away from a brain tumour at the age of 49.
Dom aims to complete four 10k runs and a further two half marathons with the final event poignantly being the Poppy Half Marathon on Remembrance Sunday in Bexhill in Sussex – his home town for more than 20 years and where his mother, Susan, passed away in 1998 when Dom was just 17-years-old.
Since that time, Dom has been unable to talk about the disease which killed his mother.
However, since moving to South Wales with his Newbridge-born wife Melanie and their three-year-old daughter, Kira, Dom has made the decision to open up about this difficult chapter in his life. Dom is teaching Kira about her other Grandma who he says is in heaven and together they go to visit Susan’s grave in Cheltenham, Gloucester.
Speaking about Susan and her bravery in the face of adversity, Dom said: “People don’t understand how inspiring and motivating my mum was. Dad was a Priest and mum was the Parish Deacon as well as being the driving force behind the organisation and running of many parish events. She was known and loved by so many. It was a terrible shock for us all to learn that she had a brain tumour and then so devastating to learn that there was so little that could be done.
“While getting married to Melanie and becoming a dad to our wonderful daughter, Kira, were the two happiest days of my life, they were overshadowed by the fact that mum couldn’t be here to get to know her daughter-in-law and her first grandchild.
“I was blown away when I learned that brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet less than 1% of national cancer research spending goes on brain tumours.”
• To sponsor Dominic visit www.justgiving.com/Dominic-Taylor4 or call 01296 733011 quoting Dominic Taylor’s Magnificent Seven.
I went to school with Dom, great guy, followed his fundraising and awareness-raising from an impressed distance.