MoonWalk puts spring in Sandra’s step
Chemotherapy nurse Sandra Ironside is going moon walking again.
The 59-year-old from Kilmelford, who works as a Macmillan Nurse at the haematology and chemotherapy day bed unit in Oban, will be taking part in her tenth fundraising MoonWalk this June.
The event is organised by breast care charity Walk the Walk and Sandra has entered every year, along with her Oban Care Bears Team, over the past decade.
'This will be my tenth MoonWalk and I plan to keep on walking for many years to come. I originally set myself a target of doing ten of them before I turn 60, which is happening later this year, so I’m on target.
'I sign up every year because I’ve seen firsthand what a difference grants from Walk the Walk make,' she said.
Walking helps keep Sandra fit and taking part in Walk the Walk events keeps her motivated to get out and get moving. The walking and training also helped her cope during the pandemic, although she was still working.
In the early days of The MoonWalk Scotland, Walk the Walk funded scalp coolers which were used in the day bed unit where she works at Lorn and Islands Hospital to help prevent hair loss for patients undergoing certain types of chemotherapy.
‘I’ve also seen first-hand how Walk the Walk grants have helped fund Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres in Scotland. A friend of mine, who passed away from breast cancer a couple of years ago, used one of the Maggie’s centres. Her husband also found it a lovely place to go and sit on his own, or chat to others if he wanted to,' said Sandra, who was invited to be at the Gartnavel Maggie’s centre in Glasgow when HRH The Duchess of Cornwall visited.
'Listening to staff and the people who use the centre was amazing. It’s so inspiring, knowing that with every step you take during The MoonWalk, you are making a difference, not only to the person who has cancer, but also to their family and friends, who are all welcome to use the centres.
'We need to help people with cancer and their families, now more than ever. It’s been a very unsettling time over the last couple of years, both for cancer patients and the charities which try to make things a little bit easier for them,’ Sandra told The Oban Times.
Members of Oban Care Bears team change each year but Sandra is determined to keep supporting Walk the Walk for many years to come. She has her work cut out for her, as she in charge of making the themed bras and costumes they will be wearing on June 11.
'Everyone taking part in The MoonWalk is there for the same reason - to enjoy the night and raise as much money as they can for a fabulous cause,' added Sandra.
Entries for this year’s MoonWalk Scotland, when women and men wearing brightly decorated bras walk a marathon through the streets of Edinburgh starting at midnight, are now open. To sign up, go to www.walkthewalk.org.