Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page, there are a lot of them about so it is appreciated!

I HATE running and at the start of this year couldn't even complete 5km without stopping, wheezing and having to limp home for a cuppa or a beer. So it is surprising that at the end of July I will be a team member of the Thunder Run. A 24 hour relay where one team member is required to be running a 10km lap at all times. Meaning I am likely to be running a minimum of 2 x 10km over the 24 hour period with the rest time being in a tent (probably in the rain).. For the record, I also HATE camping. 

The reason I am doing this?? Because of Issy and her family! An amazing little girl who I have the pleasure of knowing through starting a post-natal class with her mum just after my daughter Elsa was born. Issy is a couple of weeks older than Elsa and is a happy, funny and incredibly intelligent little girl.

I take for granted how lucky I am to have Elsa and how she and I make a little team completely blessed with a clean bill of health. This isn't always the case. Last year, Issy was diagnosed with SMA after not developing as quickly with her walking. (In fact she now gets around in a motorised wheelchair) I had never even heard of this horrible disease called Spinal Muscular Aprophy which has NO CURE and has completely changed the life of Issy and her parents. I cannot even begin to imagine what it would feel like being told your child has an incurable illness with no clarity on how it will progress as they grow up. 

Her mum Karen has shown an immense amount of strength, humour and sheer super human powers since finding out her little Isabel was sick. So it will be thinking of Karen, her strength and all the support she gave me through a very hard time in my life that will get me through that second 2am night time lap. 

So I would be really grateful if you could donate even a couple of pounds to the SMA trust to fund more research and support the children and their families who are impacted by this terrible disease. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Natasha x