Raising awareness of bowel cancer with ActiveApril

Jeannette lost both her brother and her dad to bowel cancer. She’s determined to raise awareness of the disease and the importance of screening. Joining ActiveApril has helped her do just that. 

In 2015 my brother, Steve was diagnosed with bowel cancer, aged 53. It came as a complete shock. Two years later, my dad, Bill, was diagnosed too. 

Sadly, Steve died in 2020, followed by my dad eight months later. 

I’ve always been very close to my family. Steve was a truly lovely guy. We had a strong relationship growing up. Our special family grew as we both got married and had children. My dad was a hard-working man and was married to our mum for 57 years. I’ve been devastated by their loss. 

My determination to raise awareness of family risk 

With our family history of bowel cancer, I know I’ve got a higher risk of getting the disease. After I lost my brother and dad, I discovered the support offered by Bowel Cancer UK. I used their health information on their website to understand more about this risk factor. 

Early diagnosis is so important, so I decided I wanted to raise awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer and family risk factors. And I wanted to help make sure everyone who is eligible for the screening programme takes part. Joining ActiveApril helped me with my goal. 

Doing ActiveApril your way 

I took part for the first time in 2023, and it helped kick-start my fitness journey. I was unable to take part in long-distance running events — I leave those to my husband and daughter, who are running the Great North Run this year for Bowel Cancer UK. ActiveApril fit the bill perfectly. I could still raise money for the charity but the challenge of an activity a day was more accessible for me. 

I did find it tough to think of different activities to do throughout the month, so I joined the ActiveApril Facebook group. Everyone was so supportive and it helped to keep me motivated. In the end, I found that doing exercise for 30 consecutive days helped me form my fitness habit and I’ve continued to keep it up since. 

When I did the challenge again the following year, I’d learnt to relax and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I set my own personal goals and didn’t get fazed by what the other participants did. We’re all very different, so it’s best to focus on your own achievements. 

Bring on ActiveApril 2025 

I’ll be taking part in ActiveApril again this year. It helps me remember my loved ones. But the most rewarding part is knowing that my activity raises money to help the awareness work being done by the charity. Like me, Bowel Cancer UK’s vision is a future where nobody dies of the disease.

• Find out more and sign up to ActiveApril
• Learn more about bowel cancer screening 
• Read more real life stories