The Challenge
Hi there!
As you will have guessed by now, myself (Dave) and Jackie will be running in the 2009 Flora London Marathon, whilst Donna will be taking part in the running of us ..... probably something that is just as difficult as completing a 26.2 mile distance.
Why are we running the London Marathon and who are we doing it for?
Our main aim is to raise funds for much needed research and generate awareness for the alopecia community. We will be doing this on behalf of Alopecia UK, registered charity No. 1111304.
About Alopecia
Alopecia can be a devastating condition for those who have it. It is defined as a hair loss condition that affects men, women and children. The onset of hair loss is often sudden, random and frequently recurrent. Whilst it is not damaging to a persons health, psychologically it can destroy their confidence and outlook on life.
The cause of alopecia is not presently known, although it is agreed to be a disease of the autoimmune system. In alopecia the affected hair follicles are mistakenly attacked by a person's own immune system (white blood cells) resulting in the arrest of the anagen (hair growth) stage and move to the telogen (resting) phase, where the hairs abruptly shed. For more information please go to the Alopecia UK website: http://www.alopeciaonline.org.uk
The Team
Dave Utley - I'm 35 and married with three children. I have alopecia which first became active when I was 31. It started out as one small patch on the back of my head, which soon grew in size. In the short space of four weeks I had lost all the hair on my head and some from my arms and legs. A year passed and then almost 99% of my hair grew back, unfortunately this was short lived, as in 2007 I became AU (Alopecia Universalis) where I lost all the hair on my body; eyebrows, eyelashes, the lot! Since then I have learned to cope with every stage of my changing appearance and now want to continue to help others with alopecia do the same. I am honoured to be running London Marathon on behalf of AUK and I am dedicating it to all the fantastic people within the alopecia community.
Jackie McKillop - I'm 36 and have been AU for nearly five years now. I was very fit at the time, so there wasn't an obvious health reason for my hair loss and I didn't feel any more stressed than usual. My GP ran some blood tests, which showed that I was suffering from an underactive thyroid; it was thought that once this was addressed my hair would grow back. After seeing various specialists I was told that my hair loss was not connected to my thyroid problem. Hair is such a big part of your sensuality and it's taken a while to learn to live with how I look. I still have my moments, it does take courage and time to build up your confidence and self esteem.
Donna Roper - I'm 43 and married with 4 children. I developed alopecia universalis 2 years ago when I lost all of my hair in about 3 weeks. I had to get used to my new appearance very quickly. It was tough at first but I have found lots of ways to cope with it and am now passionate about helping others to gain a level of acceptance. It is also very important for us to create awareness about this condition so that people feel less embarrassed by their appearance. I would like to have run with Dave and Jackie but have other conditions which prevent me from doing so, but I will be with them all the way in whatever way I can to help and support them.
Please visit our marathon training blog to follow our progress:http://www.alopeciaonline.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9768
Thanks for visiting our fundraising page.
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