Jordan Dunn is running the TCS London Marathon for Marie Curie after her dad, Jim, received hospice care at home. She talks about why running is so important for her mental health and her determination to give something back.
Dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer around 2021. He was an amazing man. It wasn't until his funeral that I learned he helped people in his pub. Dad would make that extra effort to talk to them if they were in a bad place.
He had chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which treated it, then he had a break. When he went back for some more tests, they found that it had spread too far.
Two of my sisters are carers, and we were willing to give Dad his wishes and look after him at home. But when it came to the time, I said to my sisters, my brother and my mum ‘we need somebody to come in and help us with this’ because we were all so tired. We were all there for each other, but it was a difficult situation.
“The Marie Curie Healthcare Assistant was lovely and respectful from the minute she came in.”
We offered her a coffee, and my younger sister Courtney and I stayed up talking about Dad with her for four hours while everybody else got some sleep.
There were times we would tell her a memory of Dad and we would laugh. We swear we could see Dad smiling, hearing us talk about him and his memories.
Dad passed away a week before Christmas 2024. I managed to get in bed and cuddle him for one last time. I know this is such a clichéd thing, but the Marie Curie Healthcare Assistant was a real angel that helped us through that final evening with him. It really did mean the world.
“Running is massive for my mental health… sometimes I have a little chat with Dad.”
I put all my grief into running. It really helped me deal with what I was processing. Running is massive for my mental health. Sometimes I've run until I’ve cried, especially after losing Dad. Then I've carried on.
There's a spot on the canal my mum and dad would walk to when they could. It’s where we scattered Dad's ashes. I run down there, have a little stop, have a little chat with Dad, and then I carry it on. I know he would be behind me saying, ‘Come on, girl. Couple more minutes, you’ll get there!’
When I was younger, my dad would always say to me, ‘you've got legs for running, I could see you running the London Marathon’.
One day, as I was running along the canal, I remembered that conversation about running the marathon. When I got back to have a coffee with my mum I said, ‘I'm going to do it. I remember that conversation with Dad, and I'm going to enter it right now’.
When I found out I had the place, I did a little dance holding my three-year-old. I honestly couldn't believe it; I still feel a bit shocked. It feels amazing to run not only on behalf of Marie Curie, but also in honour of my dad.
“I wanted to give something back to people that had helped Dad.”
Running for Marie Curie is something I’m so passionate about because they helped my dad and my family at a really, really hard time. It's a way of giving back and raising awareness of what an amazing job they do.
It's really going to shine a light on Marie Curie’s work. My target is £2,500 which I feel like I can achieve and maybe go past. If the money I raise helps get a nurse into somebody's house who really needs it at that time, then every little penny is worth it.
If you’d like to support Jordan’s run in the TCS London Marathon for Marie Curie, visit her Enthuse fundraising page.
To talk to someone about grief, you can call our Support Line on 0800 090 2309. It’s open every day, with a trained team ready to offer emotional support.
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