MoonWalk returns to turn the city pink

Published on Saturday 4 June 2011 15:12

IT IS the night that Edinburgh turns pink. And with less than a week to go, the finishing touches to this year's MoonWalk are being put in place.

The annual all-night walk through Edinburgh, which has so far raised more than 12.4 million for breast cancer care, takes place this Saturday and looks likely to be the biggest so far.

Thousands of women - and some men - in brightly-decorated bras will walk a marathon or half marathon through the city to raise money for charities including Maggies Cancer Care, the Breast Cancer Institute, Edinburgh, and Breast Cancer Campaign.

The Edinburgh cityscape will be lit up in a haze of pink lights with iconic buildings such as Edinburgh Castle, 'going pink' for the occasion.

And Scotland on Sunday - the event's media sponsor - will issue a special souvenir supplement with a roll of honour featuring the names of all those taking part. Here, we talk to three participants about their own personal reasons for doing this year's MoonWalk.

BREAST cancer has touched Sandra Pearson's life in many ways. Her mother died of the illness, her sister-in-law underwent a mastectomy two years ago and, in 2010, her older sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, too.

"I didn't know my Mum growing up and when I found out that she'd had breast cancer I always felt that someone else in the family might have it," she says. "I always wondered if it would be one of us."

Pearson, 50, was devastated by her sister's diagnosis last May, but, following a mastectomy and a full reconstruction, is delighted to report that her sibling is on her way to a recovery. "She's doing brilliantly now," she says.

And although she has a daughter, step-daughter and nine nieces in the family and still worries about her female relatives, she also feels positive about the future.

"To see someone like my sister from when she was diagnosed to how she is now is just fantastic. It makes you realise that life doesn't stop when you get a diagnosis. You might go through hard times, and things will change, but it's not the end."

Pearson will be doing the MoonWalk with one of her nieces, and says she's really enjoyed spotting other MoonWalkers during their training walks around Dalgety Bay where she lives and along the Fife Coastal Path.

"Lots of the MoonWalkers are wearing their shirts and hats so we all shout and wave at each other and say 'hello'. It feels like a real community. I can't wait for the atmosphere on the day. It's going to be so good."

JUNE'S STORY

WHEN June Raeburn was diagnosed with breast cancer last March after a routine mammogram, she was shocked.

"It was actually a bit surreal," says the 53-year-old nursery care worker. "I almost felt like they were talking about someone else. You hear of it happening to so many people, but you don't expect it to be you."

After two gruelling operations, including a mastectomy, Raeburn embarked on a course of chemotherapy, which finished in November last year. Although the surgeries and the treatment left her tired, she says the worst part was after the chemo was over.

"It was at that point that I went through a wee spell where it was quite difficult to deal with it all. I'd been able to put it to one side, but once the chemo stops you start thinking: 'What now? What do I do now?' It's quite difficult."

But with the support of her two daughters and regular trips to the gym to build up her strength, she went back to work in March of this year. "It's really helped," she says. "It's given me a new focus."

While some would be taking it easy after such a tough year, Raeburn has now set herself the new challenge of completing the full MoonWalk with her friend Barbara next weekend.

"I've been going out walking - not quite as much as I would like, but I did 20 miles the other week which I was really pleased with; it was a great thing to hit that goal."

And her message for this year's walkers is simple: "Women definitely need to be aware and go for regular mammograms. Mine was routine, and I felt perfectly fit and healthy at the time. But if I hadn't gone, it would never have been picked up."

PAM'S STORY

PAM Crosthwaite is viewing this year's MoonWalk as a personal challenge. "Walking 26 miles through the night is something of an achievement," says the 52-year-old from Prestwick, who cheerily confesses to having notched up a frightening number of blisters during her training.

But she also feels it's important to highlight the issues around breast cancer.

"I don't think you can be a woman and not have been touched by it," she says. "Whether it's someone you know who has experienced it or for any other reason. That's why the MoonWalk is so important - it makes people aware, and it supports those who are experiencing breast cancer. Anything that can be done is a good thing."

Crosthwaite, who has organised a number of fundraising initiatives, says she can't wait for the day now, although she's slightly concerned about the bras that her Edinburgh-based friends have taken upon themselves to decorate.

"I'm relying on them," she says with a laugh. "Hopefully they'll be something with fringes attached - something that covers the belly."