After her dad’s cancer diagnosis just days before his 60th birthday, Jess Wright from Dudley decided to take on a marathon to raise funds for the Shropshire-based charity that had made such a positive difference for her dad throughout his cancer journey – Lingen Davies Cancer Support.
Scroll to see Jess’s full story below.
“Dad was diagnosed with cancer of the mouth and the throat in July 2025. He was actually diagnosed three days before his 60th birthday. It was an upsetting and stressful time for all of us, and it sounds a bit naïve really because you just don’t expect something like that to ever happen to someone in your family. I know that sounds really daft, but you just don’t.
“We were all a bit taken back by it and were trying to accept the diagnosis and what was happening. Dad kind of took it in his stride – he didn’t want any fuss and said, ‘right, it is what it is’. And that was that.
“After his diagnosis he continued his work for a building company who were very good and supportive of him. He likes to keep focus and his head occupied, so continuing to work helped him focus on something other than the cancer.
“He seemed to take the diagnosis in his stride. I think it was us stressing about it more than him!”
Alongside supporting her dad after he received a cancer diagnosis, Jess and her partner Paul were busy preparing for their wedding day just a few months later.
“My dad got diagnosed in July, and I got married in December. He had that to focus on during his appointments and make sure he was better for it. It was something good he could look forward to.”
As Jess’s dad, Steven, lives in Welshpool, he travelled to the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital to receive his radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment, and he ‘can’t sing the staff’s praises enough’.
“He’s always said how much they looked after him and made him feel welcome and positive. He always speaks so highly of the care he received which is part of the reason why we did this challenge.
“Not only did I want to do something positive for my dad to look forward to, but I also wanted the extra support to continue for a bit longer. It’s nice to know someone else will have the same positive experience we’ve had.”
“I’ve always been quite sporty, but if you’d told me 12 months before that I was going to run 26 miles I’d have said absolutely not, no way. But when I looked at the Lingen Davies fundraising page to see what was on there, I thought ‘why not?’.
“So, I signed up, and I remember texting Paul saying, ‘what have I done?’ so he decided to sign up too so we could do it together. And it just went from there. We trained and fundraised together.
“The hardest part was fitting training in. We both work shifts and have three children, so fitting it all in was very difficult. There were times when I went out and he’d meet me later on in the middle so I could go back and be with the children. It was difficult but we’ve since said we actually really enjoyed training together.”
“On the big day itself, our children and my mum and dad came with us. Dad had gotten the all clear by this point which was positive news. I don’t think the reality of what we were doing hit us until we were on the start line.
“Considering it was our first event like this, it went without difficulty. Everything seemed to fall into place and the atmosphere in Manchester was incredible. I’ve never done any other marathon, but if I had to tell someone to do it, I can definitely vouch for Manchester. The crowds and people cheering your name and the people giving out sweets and other treats was just amazing.
“The crowds keep you going. You’ve got a random person in the street screaming your name and the charity name and it’s just… I can’t describe it. It’s just out of this world.
“We both felt really emotional at the finish line and couldn’t believe we’d actually done it.”
“We’ve both continued running, although admittedly not as many miles as before! We raised £2,101 for a good cause and ticked it off the bucket list, which is amazing to think.
“I would definitely recommend doing a marathon, whether that be the one in Manchester or a different one.”
“He got the ‘all clear’ a couple of days before we did the Manchester Marathon. His taste buds have changed drastically, and his throat still hurts because of the intensity of his treatment, but he’s doing good.
“He still has checkups with his GP but health wise, touch wood, he’s doing really well at the moment. Life is good.”
If you’ve been inspired by Jess’s fundraising and would like to take on a challenge event of your own – whether that be a marathon, 10k run, skydive, or sponsored walk – there’s so many things for you to choose from.
Check out our Challenge Events or email [email protected] to speak to a member of our team about your ideas.
Every penny raised will help us continue supporting more local people living with and beyond cancer in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Mid Wales.