Georgia Takes On North 10K For Mum And Sister

Entries for the Simplyhealth Great North 10k are open. Enter at: Greatrun.org/North10k

A student will take on a 10k running challenge to support her sister and mum who were both diagnosed with cancer.

Georgia Horn, from Stockton in Teesside, was left shocked when her 22-year-old sister Jessica was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called synovial sarcoma.

The cancer developed around her femoral artery in the thigh and only affects one in a million people, usually young people and children.

Mum-of-one Jessica underwent intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy to shrink her tumour, which was very close to the main artery.

After the treatment managed to shrink the tumour, she underwent surgery to remove it at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

In a cruel twist of fate, less than two year’s later, Georgia and Jessica’s mum Sue was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer in August 2016.

After seeing how cancer has affected both her sister and mum, Georgia became more determined than ever to play her part in finding a cure.

She decided to sign up to the Simplyhealth Great North 10k Gateshead on Sunday 9 July to raise funds for Cancer Research.

Georgia, who is currently taking on her GCSE exams, said: “When I first found out that my sister had cancer I was really upset. I never expected our family to have news like this or for it to happen to her because she was so young.

“To see my sister go through something as strenuous as chemotherapy and lose all her hair was incredibly upsetting.

“I used to go after school every night when she was in hospital to Newcastle to see her and we would look after my nephew who was only a baby at the time.

“I can’t imagine how he felt being away from his mam for so long at a time.

“After she come out of hospital she would stay with us to recover from the chemotherapy.

“In 2016 I was told my Mam had been diagnosed with cancer and I was shocked because I just didn’t ever think it would happen again to another person I loved in that space of time.

“It was quite overwhelming that two people in my family were suffering from two different forms of cancer at the same time.

“I always wanted to help out wherever I could as there were so many hospital trips.

“Just before my 16th birthday my mam had major surgery to remove the tumour in her bowel, before undergoing chemotherapy herself.

“I still feel very confused at why they both suffered with cancer as they are both fit and have healthy lifestyles.

“It just shows that cancer can affect anyone at any age and should be diagnosed at the earliest stage possible. It’s so important that we find a cure.”

Georgia will join 5,500 others for the Simplyhealth Great North 10k Gateshead with the aim of raising as much money as she can to support research into beating cancer.

The event is the North East’s biggest 10k run, taking participants on a scenic tour of the NewcastleGateshead Quayside before runners finish on the track inside the iconic Gateshead International Stadium.

The event is the perfect training run for the Simplyhealth Great North Run, with Georgia also taking on the world’s biggest half marathon this September.

Georgia added: “This year I will run my first 10k and my first half marathon so I want to raise as much money as I can for Cancer Research.

“My mum went to the doctors a few times before the cancer was diagnosed and Jessica also had visited the doctors a couple of months before we found out it was cancer.

“This shows the need for research and an early diagnosis to beat cancer.”

Support Georgia’s fundraising here.

Entries for the Simplyhealth Great North 10k are open. Enter at: Greatrun.org/North10k