Elf award and rotary conference talk

So the other day I recieved a certificate through the post




It was a award from ELF, European lung foundation and hears the letter that went with it




'The annual elf award is presented to a group, or individual, who have made an exceptional contribution to lung health. By sharing your story as a nominated lung champion, you have helped to encourage thousands of people across the world to enjoy the benefits of exercise, despite their lung condition'
It was a great honour to be given this, I was nominated by live life then give life to be a lung champion due to all the fitness activities I do including my cycle tat I was training for and getting back to work teaching fitness pole dancing. I was chosen as a champion and featured on there site, when the award came through the post I was really surprised. It's nice to know that perhaps I'm making a difference, changing people's lives for the better. For me this award just encourages me to continue
😃
I'm also working on some other projects with elf on transplant and organ donation.
Hers the link to my feature on the site
http://www.wsd2012.european-lung-foundation.org/17529-kirstie-tancock.htm
Also on Sunday I drove down to Plymouth for the welsh rotary conference annual meeting I was invited to speak at. I had my usual speech prepared, read over it accounting my journey through transplant, but this time I added something. See when I appeared on John grovia show for bbc radio Devon about my bike ride, John who I had meet before when I was featured On The show side swiped me, infront of a live audience and on radio he asked me to read my letter I had wrote to stu for if I didn't make it. It was a emotional reading reducing me to tears. John apologised as he thought he might have gone to far, but if I was a presenter interviewing myself I would say he went just far enough. The room was howling with tears and the response from or was amazing.
So I read the letter in the appropriate part of accounting my journey, I cryed, but maintaining my composure, you know the blurry eyes and sniffling nose but you carry on. I only read a small part, as I think that is powerful enough and self preservation. It was all I could manage. But it had the affect I needed.
I've included it in a blog before but if you haven't seen it here it is
To My Dear Stuart,
As I sit here, I'm in hospital it’s the week before we go to harefield for our 3day appointment. I say ours, because it will determine how our lives will be lived from now. We know my health is at a stage where I have a 50% chance of surviving. In writing this in case things didn’t go to plan sweetie. I'm not here. This doesn’t make me sad for me, I'm sad for you because I love you and worry how you will cope now. I'm not going to tell you how to grieve, this is your part to do, You can grieve for me as you like, Iv got to say though I'm glad I'm not the one grieving. I couldn’t cope if it were you leaving me. I hope in time it will become easier, that you will always have a place in your heart for me but maybe one day you will have a space for someone else to? I hope you are happy in life and that you live it to the full for me, take chances, risks, do all the things you thought you couldn’t, go on holidays, spend time with friends and family. I know my nan will probably look after kia, because of your work, but if that changes please look after our little girl. She loves her daddy and would love to live with you if she can. If not then make sure you still see her, she would be very sad if she thought you didn’t love her anymore.
Just know I never wanted to leave you, I love you to the end of the earth, you have been my rock so far and I don’t doubt you were right up until the end. I want you to know being with you has been the happiest days of my life, I wish we could have got to the other side of transplant and enjoyed that time together to but I'm just glad you were in my life for as long as you have been.
I don’t know if this letter helps in anyway.
Love now and forever,
Kirstie
While I was there there a man who's name I cannot remember from the BMA was there talking about transplant statistics and the opt out system which Wales are changing to. All I'm going to say on opt out and opt in is there seem to be many pros and cons I'm not sure opt out would be affective for many reasons. So for now I'm going to sit on the fence.
The rotary club were very hospitable, I enjoyed a three course meal and was re enbursed for my travel cost on arrival. Usually for these things there's a very lengthy process. At the end I was represented with a gift.
The view from the hotel.




My gift, love my little welsh dragon.




How wonderful is this, the slate circles are coasters. While I was there I was made to feel like part of a big family and I'm really great full to them for being such amazing hosts, so conference organisers this is how you should treat you guest speaker in the future :-)
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