WALKING elegantly down the catwalk at a fundraising fashion show on Monday may be a little tricker than normal for Ann Atri.
The day before, she is doing her first ever half-marathon, in aid of the charity which helped her during her darkest of times.
“I’m doing it to repay Maggie’s, in some small way, for everything they have done for me,” says the 62-year-old.
“I’m not a runner - I started with the ‘couch to 5k’ app and worked up to the Great Scottish Run half marathon. I’m not an outgoing person, far from it, but nothing is worse than a cancer diagnosis.
“So, if me and my very sore, post-run legs are able to help Maggie's, then count me in.”
Ann, who lives in Bearsden, was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2020.
“I was on my own because we were in lockdown,” she recalls. “I sat in the car looking through a bunch of leaflets I’d been given, trying to make some sense of what I had just been told.
“I’ve always worked full time - in industry, then running my own business. I’ve been a single mum, relying on no-one. I’m used to making my own decisions and sorting things out myself.
“I couldn’t sort this.”
One of the leaflets was for Maggie’s Glasgow, a cancer caring centre in the grounds of Gartnavel Hospital, which provides emotional, practical and financial support for people with cancer and their friends and families.
After telling her 23-year-old son, Adam, who had “lots of questions”, Ann decided to go to Maggie’s.
“Adam is a great big 6’4 rugby player,” says Ann, with a laugh. “My preconceptions of Maggie’s and what it offered, didn’t fit into his world, or mine – or so I thought. But I wanted answers. We went the next day together. I was terrified about what was ahead of me, my brain felt like a washing machine on a spin cycle.”
READ NEXT: The forgotten Glasgow venue where huge concerts were once held
She pauses. “And then we walked into Maggie’s. I’ll never forget it. It felt like an oasis of calm in a jungle of chaos. Slowly, my brain stopped spinning.”
Throughout surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Maggie’s was there for Ann and Adam.
“Friends and family try to empathise, but unless you have walked the cancer path, it is difficult to understand,” says Ann. “Maggie’s get it, and I’ve met other people there, who have also had or have cancer, and they get it too.
“Maggie’s supports me when I feel overwhelmed. I’ve attended courses on managing hair loss, skin care, relaxation and memory and concentration. Three years after diagnosis I still attend weekly yoga sessions.”
Ann adds: “I thought I was a strong, independent woman, capable of handling anything that came my way, without relying on anybody. Cancer changed that.
“I will never be able to repay the amazing team for what they have done for me, and for Adam.”
She smiles: “So I may be hobbling down that runway on Monday, but be there I will, and hopefully raising lots of money for Maggie's in the process.”
Maggie’s Fashion Show takes place in Princes Square on Monday, October 2, at 7pm, tickets priced £25. Check the charity’s website or Eventbrite for details.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here