Our members don’t just talk the talk – sometimes, they walk the walk too! Jane Say (pictured on the right, with her friend Bernadette) walked the 177-mile Camino de Santiago raising almost £4k for Cherry Lodge as a thank you for support she received following her breast cancer diagnosis.
In July 2024 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The period from the shock of initial diagnosis, through extensive treatment into recovery, had a huge physical and emotional impact. But the team at Cherry Lodge got me through those difficult months. And, as walking has been an important part of my recovery, a fund-raising walk seemed the perfect way to say thank you.
I started the walk with my lovely friend Caroline, who encouraged me to contact Cherry Lodge when I was first diagnosed. We set out on a rainy Sunday morning, feeling both excited and daunted. But we soon settled into the rhythm of walking up to 20 miles per day and it became a physical, emotional and spiritual journey.
Along the way we experienced coastal walks, lush fields, forests, rivers and flower-filled towns. On day six, Caroline went home, and I walked alone. But on day nine another friend, Bernadette, joined me. She had breast cancer some years ago and has been a great support and inspiration to me.
When we arrived at Santiago de Compostela, where the walk ends, we literally jumped for joy in front of the Cathedral. This journey has given me the space to reflect on my experience of living with cancer and the difficulties of the last 12 months. I want everyone at Cherry Lodge who supported me, from diagnosis, through my treatment and beyond, to know that your care was a lifeline for me.