Marathon in a month: Dedicating every step to those affected by cancer

Amber Mathew and her son Aiden, 4, dedicated one of the walks to Emily Foreman. Photo/ Supplied

By the end of the month, Amber Mathew will have walked the length of three marathons to raise funds for the Cancer Society.

Amber is taking part in Marathon in a Month, an online-based fundraising event by the Cancer Society. The goal of the event is to walk the length of a marathon during the month of November.

"I was listening to the radio and someone from the Cancer Society was talking about the event. I know a lot of people who have gone through it, including my grandmother who passed away from melanoma skin cancer. When I signed up for the event, I was shocked when I realised how many people I knew who had suffered from cancer."

Amber says she wanted to take part to help everyone in the community who has been affected by cancer. Her goal is to walk 126km.

"That is roughly the length of three marathons. I can walk 3km to 12km at a time. One of the walks was the entire coastal walkway from Bell Block to the port. I've currently walked around 86km."

Every day she dedicates her walk to someone she knows affected by cancer.

"Each day I post a blog on my fundraising page telling the story of someone I know who has been affected by cancer. I dedicated one of my walks to Emily Foreman who passed away this year from cancer.

"We moved to New Zealand from America three years ago and my son Aiden started in Emily's class at BestStart Mangorei Road when he was 2. She touched my heart. She had the most calm and gentle presence. All of the children loved getting cuddles from her because they could feel she generally loved them."

In 2018, Emily noticed a small lump behind her ear. That lump led her doctors to discover a cancerous tumour in her main saliva gland. Emily had major surgery to remove the tumour followed by six weeks of radiation.

In 2019 at the first CT scan since the radiation, Emily was told the cancer had spread and there were multiple lesions across her lungs. In January this year, Emily passed away after her two-year battle with cancer.

"Emily was such a fighter. She stayed upbeat and tried to keep people from worrying about her. She never let on how difficult her battle actually was and tried to make sure that everyone else was taking care of right until the end," Amber says.

"Her loss was felt all over Taranaki, as she was taken far too soon. She will always be missed and remembered for being a fun, smart, energetic, caring, beautiful young woman."

She says she has had people donate from all over the world.

"I've had donations from Australia, Canada, and America. They're all people I've met during my life. The people I'm dedicating my walks to are from all over the world where I've lived and they're getting to know others who are going through a similar battle."

Amber says her goal is to raise $1000.

"So far I've raised $885. It feels really good to be able to raise the money to make a difference for those suffering from cancer."

■ To donate, visit marathon-in-a-month.raisely.com/amber-mathew