You're probably going to need tissues.................
Boo! Ha, It’s
me, Julie! I’m back! It might just be for this blog, but this is ME!! ……
 |
| Alright I've cheated, this is an earlier version of me hehe.. |
Take That
had a song called a Million Love Songs, well, after the last couple of week's
activity from Mr Shute and you crazy army of people I feel I have to change this
to say a Million Thank You’s…
I’m
referring of course to the hard work and effort so many of you have put in to
vote for me as I'm in the finals & a contender for the amazing title of 'Merseyside Woman Of The Year'… I’m humbled
and puzzled by it all though let me tell you why…
Well, a
couple of months ago the Frog Prince told me he wanted to submit a nomination
to Merseyside Woman of the year, he told me if he could have he’d have just
done it and surprised me if I got nominated but the rules clearly stated that
nominees must approve of their nomination and whilst Andy will bend rules
occasionally he’s not known for breaking them. I asked “What have I done to
justify the nomination?” He explained about the charity fundraising I’d done,
we’d done, although that started with Andy arriving home one day when I was
recovering from my Radiotherapy & was still on my first lot of Chemotherapy
telling me he’d decided to volunteer to
do a bucket collection outside an Asda Supermarket for Clatterbridge Charity. I
suppose back then I was feeling sorry for me, I was feeling sorry for Andy, his
workload is high and since the start well I know I’ve become high maintenance and
more and more dependent on him as well as on close friends and family (you know
who you are) but I asked him was he mad? He always has this way of turning
things on their head my, as I call him (when he turns on the charm or tries to wheedle
out of something) ‘Mr Silver tongued smooth talking salesman’ He just replied “We
need to give something back, Clatterbridge are ensuring you are with me for
longer, it’s a small price to pay for your life extending time, I, no WE owe
them a debt of gratitude”, he was of course right but I worry about him, I will
until the end… Anyway he did his collection, he was gone just four hours, he’d
had fun and he’d raised funds for Clatterbridge Cancer Charity. After his
second collection I thought to myself, I need to give something back too, I’m
ill but I’m no invalid and we do everything together so… I want in on the act,
trust me to pick the rainiest day of the English Open and we collected in the
rain at Hoylake Station, I was wrapped up and well I had a job to do, I’d add
though when we repeated it on a very sunny
day two even as we travelled there by train in our Clatterbridge T Shirts the
feeling of achievement was already high as the guys sat opposite us gave us £5
each to put in our buckets after we’d responded to their query of ‘Why the T
Shirts’? We had a great day and our buckets were heavy, it felt good. So that
was the start… Andy reminded me that my determination to fight fluff was taking
on a new dimension, Maureen got involved when I started making things for ‘CCC’
to sell at their Annual Frost Fayre and by now my brother in law Nigel &
his wife Nunu on hearing of the care and treatment and that a charity was
involved too wanted to get on board & their bar & restaurant clients in
Taiwan wanted to chip in, apparently the more they heard the more they wanted
to give, a month later and they had raised an incredible £5,000! Others were
being inspired by my fight against fluff, Maria & John Burns, relatives
have chipped in some (again you know who you are) have been incredibly generous…
Andy also reminded me of the filming of the Novalis Tx treatment plus the incredible feedback we've received from this blog..Reluctantly (for I felt & still feel
there are more deserving people for the award than me) I agreed to Andy
submitting the nomination, I am humbled and to be honest I wasn’t expecting it
to come to anything. Andy had also pointed out this wasn’t just about me, to be
honest this is what ‘sold it to me’, he explained the benefits this could bring
to Clatterbridge Cancer Charity and it’s
amazing team whom I am so fondly and closely attached to now, I could see his
logic, so from my perspective it’s about Clatterbridge, it’s about me focussing
on what I can still do for them, as I’ve said before, it is too late for me but
if my efforts save just one life or extend people’s lives in the future or the
money helps CCC support more patients & families like they have supported
me then the little bit I’ve done and continue to do still will have made it all
worthwhile…. Even here I’m going to throw in a plea.. Can you spare just £1? If so, please log on to: https://www.justgiving.com/clatterbridgecc donate
your £ and in the comments just put #VoteJulieShute . Let’s see what else
we can do for this amazing cause.
Ok, so
voting has closed, for half of it as I was in hospital on the amazing Ward 26 for, I
knew little of it except when the nurses ‘filled me in’ or Andy was asking them to
vote, even ‘bribing' them with iced lollies lol – the man is crackers but I
lurrvvv him. Anyway, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continuing
amazing support whether we’ve met or not, whether you’re one of the many
supporting celebrities or not your support is of equal standing so thank you.
The harsh
reality sadly is that I do not have long left, I refuse to give in to fluff
though, he thought he’d got me a month ago, I thought he’d got me a month ago!
But I am NOT giving in without continuing this fight, I described it at the
beginning as it felt like I’d been hit with a punch from Mike Tyson, well for
those of you that remember his fight against Frank Bruno, Frank gave him a
bloody good hiding and a good run for his money before losing, Fluff, I know you’re going to ultimately
win but not without the fight of your life ‘Mate!’
I’m grateful
now that the ‘hoo-hah’ of the nomination and the voting process is over I get so tired these days, but YES, I am
looking forwards to the awards presentation afternoon, poorly or not, I want to be part of
this amazing event. I’m not going to lie
here on my sick bed and tell you I’m not bothered if I win or not, I’d be
delighted to represent the fighting spirit of the amazing Women of Merseyside
for the next twelve months whether in person or not I know Andy will make sure
the legacy of just my reaching the finals will be a platform to drive forwards
the on going fundraising and support for Clatterbridge Cancer Charity into 2016
and beyond, winning the award itself right now, well it’s beyond my wildest
comprehension what this will achieve for my friends at CCC, I remain grateful
just to have been selected for the finals. All that said it is also only fit and right
that I wish every other finalist the utmost success both in life and in this
competition, I am proud to have been selected to be part of an amazing group of
women; I’ll gladly salute the winner if it’s not me. And finally let’s not
forget the amazing team that runs Merseyside Women of The Year Awards, their
determination to continue this prestige ceremony, their ability to attract
premium sponsors for the awards categories and for having a free vote for the
overall winner of Merseyside Woman of The Year, Andy tells me a firm of
Solicitors MW Halsall are the sponsors of this award, on behalf of all the women who
have been voted for, our sincerest thanks to you and all other sponsors.
