I am running the London marathon in 2015 to support the Children's Hospice South West as this is a charity very close to my heart.

When my daughter Freya was diagnosed with the life limiting and incurable condition, mitochondrial disease, we were devastated. We had never heard of the disease and left the hospital room with our 4 month old baby girl feeling heartbroken and completely alone.

Freya was very poorly and needed a lot of support, we were frequently admitted to hospital and soon given all the help we needed from physiotherapists, lifetime nurses, occupational therapists, dieticians etc but when we were offered support from the children's hospice we initially hesitated. We were not ready to think of hospices and thought of them as places you go to die and that was a thought we didn't want to think about. 

However as the weeks passed we knew that Freya was still very poorly and her prognosis was so poor (unlikely to reach her 1st birthday) that we at least needed to take a look. We haven't looked back since. 

Freya is now 5 and has made massive unexpected progress, seemingly living a completely normal healthy life. At present, our visits are less frequent to the hospice but they still give us the support just the same. Charlton farm is a place we can go to spend time together as a family and enjoy a much needed rest. Our older daughter Paige receives support from the sibling workers who take the time to do the things she most enjoys and give her the opportunity to talk if she needs to.

But it's Freya who has the most fun during our stays! 

The hospice is a lifeline to families who need it, offering care and support during most difficult times. 

Please help us raise as much as we can to give something back. 

Thank you

The Cooke family xxx

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