Marathon run 'a gift', says mum with terminal cancer

A woman with a rare terminal cancer is set to fulfil a "wild goal" when she runs the London Marathon in aid of a national cancer support charity.

Sarah Demirtges, from Adderbury, Oxfordshire, was diagnosed with adrenal cancer in 2020 and is currently undergoing palliative treatment.

The 47-year-old said she would be running to prove "to anyone affected by cancer that you can't be held back by things".

The mum-of-two has raised more than £15,000 to date for Maggie's, to give "a little something back" to the charity she said has helped her.

Demirtges recently underwent six months of intensive chemotherapy, however, she said the cancer has since spread to her lungs.

She said she was remaining positive, adding that being able to run and be active felt like "such a gift".

Speaking to Radio Oxford, she said: "For me, the London Marathon is a huge challenge and something massively outside my comfort zone but I've spent quite a lot of time in hospitals over the past few years... I feel really lucky to be able to run.

"I wouldn't say I'm a natural runner by any stretch of the imagination but I'm running for me, for my family, for my two boys James and Ed, and just to prove to us all and to anyone affected by cancer that you can't be held back by things and you can still set wild goals and you should always try."

The mum said the Oxford branch of Maggie's, based next to the Churchill Hospital, had made a "massive difference" to her.

"It's like a sanctuary, it's beautifully designed and the people in there are just absolutely incredible," she said.

"They've supported me for years and, by going there, I've met amazing people with cancer and their families and I've had great advice.

"Fundraising for Maggie's is just my way of giving a little something back to them for being so amazing."

Claire Marriott, head of Maggie's Oxford centre, said: "It is incredible to see Sarah continue to set goals and do the things that she loves.

"Sarah choosing to support Maggie's in this way helps to ensure that Maggie's can be there for many other people with cancer and their families."

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