Chichester mum-of-two’s 60-mile running challenge for Cancer Research UK in honour of her dad

Hilary Brooks’ father, Rev Canon Philip Cunningham, was diagnosed with secondary peritoneal cancer in May and given a prognosis of around six months to live.

Hilary, who lives in Westergate with her husband Chris and their two boys Joshua and Toby, aged five and three, decided she wanted to do something positive and take action against the cancer that was ‘making us all feel so helpless’.

She said: “Initially, because of lockdown, I was worried that I might not get to see him again but thankfully the boys and I spent the summer holidays in Hexham and I spent as much quality time with him as I could.

“Over that month I watched him deteriorate and suffer so much. It was very difficult to watch and feel so helpless, especially when I knew that I soon had to return to Chichester as Josh is due to go back to Aldingbourne Primary School for the start of term.”

Hilary, a former learning and outreach officer at Petworth House, signed up for the Cancer Research UK challenge to run two miles a day throughout September.

She said: “I put a photo up of us on my wedding day – he took the ceremony at his church – and a bit of blurb, and set a target of £150, but it’s gone a bit bonkers. We have currently raised £1,384!

“My dad is such a character and has positively impacted so many people’s lives that I think people want to show him how much they care and what he has meant to them.

“As well as beautiful messages of support and donations from people he has known and my friends, we have also had donations from total strangers who have been touched by the story because they have had a similar experience or lost a parent to this awful disease.

“I’m so glad to have done this whilst dad is still with us as it has helped to lift dad’s spirits at a time when he now feels so useless and is being reminded by so many how useful he was during his lifetime.

“I’m so proud to call him my dad and to be able to do this one last thing for him.”

To donate, visit www.facebook.com/donate/356021432085002

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