Stephen Combes
Stephen & Freddie's page
Fundraising for Diabetes UK
Story
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Last week I was having a drink with some of the Dads from my sons school and I learnt that one of the boys in his class, Freddie, had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. In the taxi on the way home I chatted to one of the other dads about diabetes as I have to confess its not something I knew much about. For the next couple of days it preyed on my mind how quickly Freddie's life had been changed, practically overnight. And for his parents, and other parents who discover their child has diabetes, the stress and the learning curve of coming to terms with the condition. As a parent myself, It really hit home about how quickly our, and our children's lives, can be turned upside down.
I didn't but:
Did you know that more than 2.5m people in the UK suffer from Diabetes.
Did you know that every 3 minutes another person is diagnosed with diabetes.
Did you know that there are more than 3000 emergency hospital admissions a year for children with Diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes develops when the insulin producing cells in the pancreas have been destroyed. Nobody knows for sure why these cells have been damaged but the most likely cause is an abnormal reaction of the body to the cells. This may be triggered by a viral or other infection. Diabetes can not be cured, but it can be treated successfully. Type 1 diabetes is treated with insulin injections, a healthy diet and regular exercise.The insulin has to be injected as it is destroyed by the digestive juices.
Freddie now has to have upto 6 blood suger tests a day, and between 2 and 4 insulin injections a day, which is not an easy thing for a little boy to have to deal with.
I am running the Paris marathon on the 11th April 2010 and I have decided to run it on behalf of Freddie and to raise some funds for the charity, Diabetes UK.
Diabetes UK is the largest organisation in the UK working for people with Diabetes, funding research, campaigning and helping people live with the condition.
So, I will do the 26.2 miles around Paris, all you have to do is please make a donation to Diabetes UK.
Together we can help make a difference to someone's life.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Steve Combes and Freddie Guy.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
Update on 25/02/2010.
Training is going well and Sunday mornings involve running around for 3 hours in Richmond Park in the rain and cold. Oh for a bit of sunshine. Weekly mileage is in the region of 30 miles so trying to stay injury free is the main aim. As they say "better to arrive at the start in one piece, than to not arrive at all".
Thank you to all those who have donated thus far, the response has been overwhelming, and Freddie and I are more than grateful. In fact the response has been so brilliant that I have increased the target.
Thank you all very much!
Update on 26/02/2010.
I have increased the target again due to the unbelievable response we are getting. Thank you all very much.
Update on 02/03/2010.
Only 6 weeks until the gun goes off and I join 36,000 other runners on a 26 mile run around the streets of Paris. Donations continue to flood in and to be honest, there are no words that can say how grateful Freddie and I am for the generousity you have all show. All I can say is thank you very much from both of us.
Update on 09/03/2010.
I may have spoken to soon on the injury front! I did a 20 mile run on Sunday and then spent an hour at the physio yesterday having acupuncture, Ultra Sound and massage on my right calf. I have a calf strain which is in need of some rest in order to recover. Still 4 and a half weeks to go so hopefully get it sorted by then. Don't worry, what ever happens I will be in Paris, Ibuprofen in my bag, and I will run.
Thanks again to all those that have donated over the last week, your support is very much appreciated.
22/03/2010
Injury update. Since my last update I took a week off then went for a scheduled 20 miler but ended up walking home after just 12 miles. The calf strain has not improved. I have been back to the physio for more treatment but have been told to lay of the training for now. I am now swimming in order to keep the cardio fitness up and limit the impact to my legs. With less than 3 weeks to go running will have little to no benefit anyway so the best for me at the moment is to not run at all. Try telling your head not to run when in 20 days time you are going to run 26.2 miles! Anyway I need to get over this before the start.
Thanks to all those who have donated since last time. I have had calls from the charity to say how greatful they are for all your contributions. Thank you very much.
07/04/2010
Last update before I get the Eurostar to Paris on Friday. Like every one I am sure I was not the only one to over indulge on Easter eggs this weekend but I hope to work those off on Sunday. I have still not run for almost 4 weeks now as I wanted to rest my calf as much as possible. Then to top it off I managed to catch a cold over Easter which I am trying to surppress with vitamins, fruit and any other remedy that anyone suggests! So from calf strains to colds to rail strikes anyone would think there was a conspiracy theory against me?
Thanks again for all your support, it really has been a fantastic effort from all of you.
I will be on the start line on Sunday and will do my best to make it to the finish. I am not predicting any times or even a PB so don't ask.
12/04/10
Hi All, I am back from Paris and I have to say that was one of the toughest things I have ever done. My calf was sore from the start and got progressively worse as the race went on. I went through half way in 1 hour 54 min and thought I might just get under 4 hours, but at 30 km's the pain was unbearable and I was forced to walk run the last 10 km's. The thought of all your support and your donations, coupled with the fact that this was for Freddie as well, kept me going and I refused to give up. In the end I managed to limp across the finish line in 4 hours and 22 minutes.
Once again I can't say how grateful I am for all your support - Thank You all very much!