Hello and thank you for visiting my
Alder Hey Children's Hospital fundraising page.
Last year when Isobel was about 5 months old we found out that she has a rare condition, craniosynostosis, which affects the growth of the skull. At 8 months she had major surgery to re-model the shape of her head. It was as scary as it sounds and was a very difficult thing for Isobel and the rest of the family to go through, but what the doctors and nurses did to Isobel's head was amazing.
I am doing the Great Manchester 10k run and hopefully raising lots of money to say thank you, to everyone who works in the Cranio-Facial Team and Neurosurgical ward at Alder Hey for everything they did for Isobel, and for the other children who have this condition.
Many of you who know me, will know that running goes against all my instincts!!! I was so slow at school running, (which was the last time I ran anywhere other than for a bus), that once they shut the school gates before I got back from a run, because they didn't think any one was still out there. But I was!! Doing this is a real challenge for me. In fact I seem to remember saying once to a friend who was doing a run, "You'll never catch me doing that!". But here I am doing it... Strange how your children change you...
Please sponsor me now you are here! I've set myself big fundraising and running targets. I would really like to raise at least a £1000 and do the run in 1 hour 20 mins. (Yikes!) Any amount you can give will be very gratefully received and will spur me on as I drag my aching legs around the course in May!
Thank you so much.
Andrea xxx 
UPDATE 1: As of 5th May I have already reached my initial target of £1000. Wow! Amazing! Thank you! BUT! As it is for such a good cause I have been encouraged to aim even higher. So I'm now going for £1800!! Will I do it??!! CAN YOU HELP ME! If you have already donated and think you might know anyone who would like to support my efforts please pass the word on.
RACE INFO: I've got my number now 32581. I'll be in the pink wave setting off at 11.20am in a very garish pair of Alder Hey coloured trousers!
UPDATE 2: Friday night - only two days to go. I've just been out for my last training run and I'm psyched and ready! I road tested the lycra and got a toot! (Well it is Friday night!) Also brilliant news: I've just added in some more offline sponsorship collected this week and with Liz's mum's lovely donation (Thanks Mrs Cherry!) I'VE JUST HIT MY REVISED TARGET! I'm absolutely chuffed to bits. If you are here to sponsor me, don't let the fact that I've hit the target put you off!!!
UPDATE 3: I did it! 1 hr 14 mins and 36 seconds! Really pleased with my time. Weather was mixed - it chucked it down for the last few k, but the whole thing was quite a buzz, even the last k which was soggy, windy, emotional and hard going!! Check out the pics on the left. Everyone's comments really spurred me along when legs and lungs wanted to stop, and your fundraising support has just completely blown me away.
Thank you thank you thank you all so much!
PS If you've just come to donate - thank you! - you are helping me smash my target!
Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It's also the most efficient way to sponsor me:Alder Hey Imagine Appeal gets your money faster and, if you're a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in gift Aid, plus a 3 % supplement, are added to your donation.
