This is the tenth time I have run a marathon for the Nolan Trust, and I know many of you are well aware of what happened to me and have sponsored me in the past. But for those that don't know...

In 2000, I was diagnosed with an acute form of myeloid leukaemia. After a year of treatment, the cancer returned and my chances of survival were very low. Around 10% I was told by a rather honest and direct consultant at University College Hospital. He recommended I made sure my will was in order. Things did not look great.

The only way I might survive at that point was by having a bone marrow transplant. My siblings were tested, but none of them was a close enough match. However, the Anthony Nolan Trust found someone on their register that not only did match, but lived quite nearby. I have never met him. He is a complete stranger, but was willing to undergo an operation to have some of his bone marrow extracted to try to save my life. In the event, his marrow grafted to my body at remarkable speed. I now have his blood system. I even have his red-blood type.

The Nolan Trust is essentially a register of people willing to donate bone marrow, and provides support for donors as well as those affected by the disease.

Each year I run in the London Marathon to raise money for the Nolan Trust, to confirm that I am still alive, and to remember what my donor and the medical staff at University College did for me. I again hope to raise £2,000. Could you please sponsor me – even if it is only for a small sum?

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