Light the night. Because you can't cut your blood out.

Last year I did my first Light the Night walk, a major fundraiser for the Leukaemia Foundation. I was going to attend on my own but a really special friend said she would join me, thank god she did because I was not ready for the emotions I was going to feel.

When you attend the walk you get to carry a large paper lantern, I carried a yellow one to remember my wonderful Dad, my friend carried blue, to show she was supporting people affected by blood cancers and the white lanterns were for the people currently fighting blood cancers.

It is true that I am a crying type these days. I have given up the fight at trying not to cry when crying feels like the best thing to do.

When the walk begins there are a few words spoken, and it doesn't really matter what those words are, because they just make me miss my Dad.

As you look around you spy a child carrying a white lantern, wearing a beanie or a bandana, confirmation that they are fighting the beast within their blood. My heart breaks and my tears flow, because blood cancer is just fucking awful.

You can't cut your blood out.

This year, the Melbourne Light the Night walk is being held at the Melbourne Zoo, which is a bit of marketing fabulousness, because you get to take the kids to the zoo AT NIGHT, walk with your lanterns, remember your people and show support for others, while the koalas will grunt, the lions may roar and the birds will screech. Could there be a better place to stroll around surrounded by hope?

My family and my lovely friend are going to be walking to raise money for Leukaemia with me,  it's likely I will cry some of the way, but that's ok.

Did you know that on days when you are not feeling great, helping someone else actually makes you feel better?

We have a team called TEAM RAY. If you feel like popping a couple of dollars to help with research against blood cancers, click this way.