Lorna Pirozzolo (44) has already raised more than £2,200 for Macmillan Cancer Support Jersey by organising, with help from friends, family and other supporters of the charity, a takeover of the café at Reg’s Garden.
And now she is aiming to complete 7km every day next week on her treadmill at home while she is still shielding to raise even more money for the charity.
Her brother-in-law Rob d’Orleans and friend Natasha Smith are also taking part in the challenge, aiming to run and cycle the daily distance respectively.
The challenge coincides with Macmillan’s ‘Get Together for Good’ event running all week as an extension to the annual Jersey’s Greatest Coffee Morning, which usually takes place at this time of year. However, due to Covid the charity decided to alter the event to allow people to show their support and raise money in different ways, by getting together in person or virtually. Instead, people are being encouraged to take advantage of seven days to make a difference in their local community.
Mrs Pirozzolo, who was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer at the age of 41 just nine months after marrying her now husband Joseph, plans to complete her daily 7km at fast walking pace, having spent the past 18 months on crutches due to spasticity in her legs.
In January last year she learned that the cancer had progressed to stage four, meaning it had spread to other parts of her body, and that was when the support provided by Macmillan really made a difference.
‘I just needed someone to talk to that wasn’t family or friends, somebody objective,’ said Mrs Pirozzolo, who works as an air traffic control services operational support co-ordinator but is currently working on other projects at home while shielding.
‘Thanks to Macmillan I have had complementary therapy, talking therapy, I have used the drop-in centre quite a bit, I have been to relaxation sessions with the palliative care doctor at the Hospital, and there have been social events too which have been one of the most important things – it was about a year before I met somebody my age who was in the same boat as me.’
She added: ‘They have been such a huge support to me – they actually helped me to stay on treatment last year by providing coping strategies for some of the side-effects.’
Mrs Pirozzolo is now keen to raise both money and awareness for the charity, and has appeared in a video to promote the work of Macmillan.
‘Macmillan has given so much support to our family that if you can help bring in money for them and help promote them there was no way we were going to knock that back,’ she said.
‘I know it is a tough time for some folk at the moment but I would encourage people to donate as much as they can manage or they could take on a challenge and ask other folk to sponsor them. Exercise is always good – especially because people have been putting on the Covid pounds!’
Steph Gibaut, head of fundraising at the charity, said: ‘We would like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to Lorna and her family. Lorna has inspired our Macmillan Jersey team since we met her in 2018 and we know by sharing her story through our Get Together for Good campaign video, she is inspiring so many more people here in Jersey.
‘Lorna’s passion to “give back” to Macmillan Jersey is incredible and we couldn’t provide the amazing cancer support services we do for local people affected by cancer without supporters like Lorna and her family.
‘At Macmillan Jersey, we want to ensure that anyone affected by cancer in Jersey is supported in the best way possible. Covid-19 has had such an impact on local cancer patients and we want to ensure that our cancer support services can continue and grow to meet the needs of our service users.
‘We truly believe that together as a community we can make this happen.’
To sponsor Mrs Pirozzolo visit macmillanjersey.com, where there is a section called Our Latest Fundraisers.
