What’s it like to see your mum go through treatment now and support her through it?
It was a massive shock but I didn’t really feel it until she had to go in for surgery. I almost didn’t believe it. She came home and told us and it just didn’t click. It was difficult because I was still working [as a spinal cord injury specialist carer] and I really didn’t want to bring anything home that might be harmful to mum. I would come home from the night shift and have to completely strip off and have a shower. Then I’d look after mum.
It really hit me and my brother when mum had to go in for surgery. Dropping her off was really horrible and we couldn’t even call to see how she was doing. We were sitting at home waiting to hear. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions since then and some days are okay, some aren’t. Mum’s mum, dad and sister all live abroad, so they haven’t been able to come and help with looking after mum or bring over food.
I’d heard of Macmillan but had never used their support services before because I simply hadn’t needed to. But after mum’s diagnosis I emailed them through the website and heard back from a Macmillan nurse within 24 hours, who sent loads of really personalised information that showed they hadn’t just pulled it off the internet. It felt like they really took the time to understand and look after your case; they really put me at ease and answered questions that I didn’t want to ask mum because I didn’t want to upset her.
When mum was diagnosed and Macmillan were supporting us I thought it would be really nice to give something back and to have something to focus on, rather than thinking about my mum and feeling upset. I set myself a goal of cycling 100 miles in the month of May, broken down into 25 miles each week. I’ve got bad asthma and work up to 72 hours a week so it was hard to find the time to do this, especially as it would get dark at night.
When mum was diagnosed and Macmillan were supporting us I thought it would be really nice to give something back and to have something to focus on
How did your followers on Instagram respond when they saw that you’d done some fundraising, given it’s a bit different to your other photos?
But in the end I managed 112 miles and received some incredibly support from my family, friends and even some strangers off Instagram. My goal was £500 and I raised more than £1,300. I never thought I’d raise that much and it just shows how many people really care. Even a tiny amount was a great contribution.
I never thought I’d raise that much and it just shows how many people really care. Even a tiny amount was a great contribution.
Tell me a bit more about pageantry and what it means today
I’m a contestant in the Miss International UK competition [the fourth largest pageantry contest of its kind] and am representing the whole of Essex. There are a lot of negative stereotypes around pageants, that it’s just about being pretty and showing off. But it’s not, it’s all about giving back and helping out the community, using the title to speak out about issues that matter to you. If I’m crowned Miss International UK, lots of people will want to listen up.
I have been supporting and fundraising for a few charities in addition to Macmillan, such as the RSPCA and White Ribbon UK, which campaigns to help end male violence against women.
Recently I also set up my own website about pageantry so anyone looking to get into it could find out more about it.