Kettering woman takes on month-long fitness challenge in mum’s memory

A mum-of-two has taken on a challenge that will see her run a marathon in memory of her mum.

Charlotte Kellock, a senior train conductor from Kettering, has signed up to the Brain Tumour Research charity’s Jog 26.2 Miles in May challenge in memory of her ‘loving, gorgeous, sometimes ditsy’ mum, Maxine Kellock.

Maxine, a former hairdresser and beauty salon owner from Islip, Oxfordshire, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM) – an aggressive brain tumour with a devastatingly short prognosis of just 12 to 18 months – in April 2020.

The grandmother-of-four underwent a debulking surgery and had been due to start radiotherapy when she developed pulmonary embolisms in both lungs and died in July 2020. She was 63-years-old.

Sadly, Charlotte’s best friend, Michael Ives, is now fighting the same disease having been diagnosed with two GBMs in February 2022 after suffering a seizure.

She said: “When Mum died, people said ‘it’s probably for the best’ because she passed without any prolonged suffering; but I wanted more time with her and would have been willing to do anything.

"Now I’ve seen it from both sides.

"Michael’s still fighting but he’s blind, bedridden and has 24-hour care so I realise that Mum was lucky, in a roundabout way, not to have been through all that.”

Despite not being a natural runner, Charlotte decided the Jog 26.2 Miles in May challenge was something she could do.

Incredibly, now part way through it, she has been inspired to run the London Marathon next year.

The 43-year-old said: “When I saw the challenge advertised on Facebook I thought it was achievable, 26.2 miles over a month.

"I want to do as much as I can for the charity and thought this would motivate me to get off my bum whilst doing something for a good cause.

“I mix it up by doing a bit on the treadmill and by running outdoors, but I find that much harder.

"On my first run on May 1 I got a burning sensation in my chest, but it’s definitely getting easier and I find that I can run for longer now without having to stop.

“I also find that when I finish, the endorphins it releases makes me feel more energetic so I clean the house and keep busy rather than sit on the couch and watch TV.

“And, because I’m completely insane, I’ve now decided to run the London Marathon for the charity next year, so this month is serving as training for that as well.”

Charlotte’s efforts have already raised more than £500 for the charity, with further donations continuing to come in.

She said: “I’m absolutely blown away by how much I’ve been able to raise because everybody’s a bit strapped for cash at the moment.

“I feel like if everyone did a bit, there would be more hope for patients in the future.

"Currently there’s very little hope, which is extremely sad. The doctors don’t know what to do and treatment options are limited.

“My mum had exactly the same treatment plan as Michael, even though their tumours were in different places and different sizes.

"It’s not right that we’re so far behind with this.

"We need better treatments and greater awareness – people need to realise how common brain tumours are.”

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We were really saddened to learn that Charlotte had two people close to her that had or are still being affected by brain tumours.

"Too many families are being robbed of time with their loved ones because of the severe lack of investment in research.

"Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

"We’re determined to change this but it’s only by working together we will be able to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK.

It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure.

The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.

To support Charlotte’s fundraising, visit www.facebook.com/donate/743784907471616.