International Women’s Day 2021 Part 2
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2021 on 8 March, we spoke with three women and men who have kindly agreed to share their stories to help raise awareness and celebrate International Women’s Day. This global day is an opportunity to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. In this International Women’s Day 2021 Part 2, this is the second of three stories.
Stuart Grant, InstaNinja, plays testament to his wife Emma’s strength and compassion, not just for Stuart, but for many other causes. In Stuart’s own words:
When I was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2019 I could not have predicted how my wife would step up and support me, and the brain tumour cause at large.
When I was diagnosed we had a 5 month old baby and all the fun that brings. It was, as you can imagine, a difficult time.
But Emma went on to show such strength and compassion, not just for me, but for many other causes.
We decided to get married in the April of 2019 just a few months after my diagnosis and before I started all my treatment. We knew I would probably survive for a number of years, but wanted to complete our family with marriage. Emma put the wedding together in around 4 weeks, including sorting dresses, food, venue, guests and everything else.
An example of Emma’s amazing generosity was when she arranged for the food that we did not eat at the wedding to be collected by a homeless charity who could distribute it to people in need on the streets. Then, after having paid over £600 for a wedding dress, she decided to donate it to the BIG C wedding dress shop in Norwich, so that the sale of it, would go towards fundraising for the BIG C, a unit based at the Norfolk and Norwich hospital, This was somewhere we had used when I was attending treatment.
Her compassion and kindness was shown again this Christmas (2020) when she raised over £800 for families who have been affected by a brain tumour diagnosis. She sourced and arranged presents to be sent to families whose parents couldn’t afford the Christmas for their children that they might have wanted this year.
Then at the end of January 2021 Emma has decided to walk 10,000 steps in February to raise money for Brain Tumour Research – currently sponsorship is running at £1,434. This is all while we now have a 2 year old, dog, and Emma is working part time from home for local government.
And these are just some of the wonderful things she has completed in the last couple of years… and she really has shown immense compassion and thoughtfulness.
When we hear about International Woman’s day, I will forever take a moment to think of and thank my wife for her strength and resilience.
She is powerful and kind, and as a man, I am in awe of her and her continual thinking of others before herself.
If you would like to donate to Brain Tumour Research with Emma’s 10,000 steps walk in February, you can donate here.
Stuart Grant
Thank you to Stuart for sharing your courageous story for International Women’s Day 2021. If you would like to read Part 1 of our stories, click here.
