Kelly Casey is on a mission to make people smile – dressed as a duck she’s walking the streets of Hackney to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research.
The 38-year-old mother of two was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour five years ago and has endured radiotherapy and chemotherapy and lengthy hospital stays.
And although the heartbreak of a terminal diagnosis has hit her hard, she’s on a mission to make life the best it can be. So, throughout February, she’s dressing as a duck and walking 10,000 steps a day (a total of around 140 miles) in the hope that one day a cure can be found.
Asked why she decided on a duck costume, she laughed: “I only have two fancy dress costumes and the other one’s a penis!”
She explained: “Dying can be sad but it can’t be dim – I’m all about humour, it’s a way to cope. Some people get it and they laugh and honk their horns when they see me walking past dressed as a duck but when I walk down Mare Street, I feel like Jesus parting the sea – everyone moves aside!
“If I’ve learnt anything it’s that we should all aim for the best,” she said. “I regret not doing any fundraising before now. My message to everyone would be not to take anyone for granted – time is not endless.
“Brain tumour research only gets around 1% of the funding from Cancer Research yet it’s a big killer in under 40s and children. There isn’t enough research so we don’t have the answers.”
Kelly worked as a support worker for children with special educational needs and she’s the safeguarding welfare officer for Hackney Borough Youth Football team. She’s married with two sons (aged 16 and 11).
She’s spreading smiles wherever she goes; whether it’s the radiotherapy department where she donated a stereo to drown out the sound of the machines or at St Joseph’s Hospice where her unique phallic artwork is hanging on the wall.
“St Joseph’s is my haven – I’ve made some very good friends. I go there to have fun, not to think about dying.”
She’s busy making the best of things and the dreams she’d still like to fulfil include meeting Keith Lemon, seeing Alan Carr, skydiving and getting a tattoo of WBTV (an acronym for ‘willy, bum, tits, vagina’) on her ankle. Colleagues have grown used to Kelly exclaiming “WBTV” when she’s having a bad moment (in place of a swearword).
To sponsor Kelly, click here to visit her JustGiving page, and be sure to follow her journey on Twitter too, remember #dyingdoesnthave2Bdim.
