Personal message

Thank you for visiting my fund raising page and making a donation towards Rainbows and Smiles Foundation.  Your donation has been made in memory of Jed Brady Thomas-Suckling and will be used for children fighting cancer.

Thank you so much for supporting me in my cycle and mission to make a difference in the life of a child with cancer.

To help me raise funds please click the "Donate Now" link on this page. 

Making your donation on this page is a really simple credit card payment process, and even the smallest contribution will help these precious children.

My story - One Life: - 6 years 8 months and 8 days...

In August 2008, 2 mths before his 4th birthday, my only child, Jed, was diagnosed with a high grade malignant brain tumour.  Jed had 3 major brain operations, 35 sessions of radiation, and was on experimental chemo from the date of his diagnoses.  Sadly, 3 yrs later on 11 July 2011, Jed passed away in my arms at home.  

My world was totally devoted to Jed’s health and fighting for his life.  Getting chemo protocols approved, fighting the medical system and spending all my energy on trying to save my son’s life.  After Jed passed away, a large part of me died with him.  I was totally lost and felt completely alone with no purpose left.  Ever heard the saying “Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies” – I had half a soul and no life left in me, my best friend and soul mate was gone. 

With no direction and no energy I lay around grieving for my son in a hopeless downward spiral.  Ralf showed me the the Team Hoyt’s story on youtube, about a father who races with his physically and mentally disabled son who cannot walk or talk. I felt a mammoth connection to father and son.  My son wasn’t physically with me but I could carry him with me in my heart.  Jed was physically paralyzed, blind and mute when he passed away but that smile never faded…. And so my journey of discovery began, turning my negative energy, pain and hurt into something positive. 

I am not a natural sports women and this is JUST the biggest triathlon in the world.  Ironman 2014
is not about completing a “sports event” – it’s about finding a reason to live, it’s about showing the world that there is life after losing your only child, it’s about proving that my son’s life mattered, it’s about raising awareness for childhood cancer and most importantly it’s for my best friend Jed!  The fight is never over! I hope I can do this for my son as I hold his memory close to my heart.

3.8km Swim, 180km Cycle and 42.2km Run #CozJedMatters and so do his friends!

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