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How One Woman Refuses To Let Cancer Determine When It’s Time To Stop Smiling

ChrissieJackson e1636897658938

A Cornwall woman has taken to a unique twist on her chemotherapy as she travels around the country looking for locations to do ‘chemo in cool places’ in order to raise money for her new-found charity, Chrissie’s Sunshine Appeal.

Chrissie Jackson, 46, from Newquay, Cornwall, has already opened the Tower Bridge in London, been ‘arrested’ by the local police officers, visited the HMS Kent and there are ‘almost’ no limits to where the stage 4 cancer thriver will take her prescribed chemotherapy pills twice a day.

Chrissie was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic cancer in January 2019 and through a process of determination, she has decided that she will make the most of every single vital day.

The ultimate goal is to raise as much money possible to selected charities and good causes, in and around Cornwall, that are close to her heart.

Having raced from Australia to China in the fifth leg of the Clipper Round the World Race last year, Chrissie was about to set sail in the next race from China to Seattle when she first became unwell and required immediate medical care. She was then subsequently diagnosed in January this year.

Despite having to cut her Clipper journey short, the competition has given Chrissie the ability to push herself to her mental and physical limits.

Sailing has been – and remains – a big part of Chrissie’s life and one of her current goals is to sail across the Pacific Ocean.

Even before her diagnosis, Chrissie had an incredibly positive and vibrant outlook on life that is still present today despite the curveball life has thrown her.

Her late father always said there is no such word as ‘can’t’, and this became a motto that Chrissie fully embraced, making her all the more determined to fight with all her strength and enjoy life to the fullest.

Chrissie is keen for people to join her on her new, unexpected journey by supporting her causes and even holding fundraising events for the appeal.

Amongst the causes Chrissie is supporting are The Cove Macmillian, RCHT Cove Amenity Fund, Sunrise Appeal, St Francis Dogs Home, Sally’s Cat Rescue, Newquay RNLI, Prickles and Paws – Hedgehog Rescue, Newquay Towan Blystra Lions and Bodmin Moorland Pony Rehabilitation.

Donors will get to select the charity they want to support through Chrissie’s Sunshine Appeal’s website: http://chrissiessunshineappeal.com/

Chrissie Jackson said: “From very early on after hearing the shocking news, I decided that this wasn’t something that was going to get me down.

Having to take chemotherapy pills twice a day regardless, I thought ‘why not make the best of it and take it in places where I normally wouldn’t have been’?

How many people can say that they’ve opened the Tower Bridge whilst doing chemo? Not many!”

“I feel like the last two years of my life has been helping me train for this journey without me even knowing it.

Both training for and participating in The Clipper Race gave me the confidence to push myself to my absolute limits and all the skills and life lessons are now being transferred into this new chapter of life.

I’m certainly doing my very best to create lemonade out of the lemons life has given me.”

Visit http://chrissiessunshineappeal.com to find out how you can help or donate.

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