A YOUNG man is completing a sponsored walk in memory of his mum who died of cancer when he was 15.
Hayden Curtis, 25, and his partner Tia Talbot, 20, from Worthing, have signed up to walk 20km in Sunrise to Remember.
They are raising funds for St Barnabas House – the hospice that cared for Hayden’s mother, Emma McCourty, aged 42.
Taking place on June 25, 2022, Sunrise to Remember is a new sponsored walk from St Barnabas House and is open to people of all ages.
Participants will set off from Worthing Leisure Centre at 4.15am and walk from darkness into the sunrise on a 10 or 20km route through the tree-lined paths of Worthing, across fields, down rivers and along the beautiful coastline.
Hayden said: “My mum was a very, very funny lady and one of the most kind-hearted people I’ve ever known.
“She was so family orientated; she would do anything for any of us.
“I have two children – Ivy who is three months and Luna, who is almost six.
“Meaning, my Mum now has six grandchildren, and I know how happy that would make her.”
Hayden was just 15 years old when he lost his mum to cancer in 2012, and to mark the 10-year anniversary of her death, Hayden has signed up to the Sunrise to Remember challenge in her memory.
He said: “I wanted to sign up to the walk to say thank you to St Barnabas.
“When Mum went into the hospice, I didn’t really have a full understanding of what was going on, or what a hospice was because I was young.
“But now, looking back, I have a full understanding and I am so appreciative of everything they did for us.”
Emma spent her final few days at St Barnabas House.
Hayden added: “Mum was in the best place she could’ve been when she died.
“Being at the hospice gave us a lot more time to spend with her.
“Nothing was ever rushed at the hospice, we always had as much time with mum as we needed, and afterwards, they gave us time with her to grieve.”
You can sponsor Hayden and Tia at www.justgiving.com/haydecurtis
Registration for the walk is £25 per person and £15 for children under 14. There is also a family ticket available for £65. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Find out more and register at www.stbh.org.uk/sunrisetoremember
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