Welcome to my JustGiving page! 

Those of you who know me know that earlier this year I started running, and that I'm pretty evangelical about it. I talk a LOT about how far I've run (not very far) and how much new gear I've bought (quite a lot), and how completely transformative running has been for my life. So signing up for a half marathon seemed like a good challenge to set myself, and an incentive to keep training. And I've decided to use the opportunity to raise money for Crohn's and Colitis UK, a charity that works incredibly hard to support people like me...

I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease when I was nine years old. Crohn's is a chronic condition, and a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Its symptoms include diarrhoea, severe pain and cramps, fatigue, lack of appetite, and weight loss, to name but a few. It's a messy, embarrassing, debilitating, and horrible disease that isn't sufficiently well-known, and - most crucially for its sufferers - doesn't have a known cure. 

I've spent much of my life since my diagnosis in and out of hospital, going through the various treatments, tests, and operations that were necessary to try to get me into remission. Having tried pretty much every available drug for Crohn's, I'm now taking part in a clinical trial for a new drug called Ustekinumab, which finally seems to be working. I finally have the energy to contemplate doing some proper, regular exercise, and my symptoms are under control to the extent that the idea of running a half marathon doesn't seem completely laughable.

This doesn't mean I'm symptom-free, or that I feel 'well' - I'm not and I don't. But in spite of my illness, in spite of my general lack of fitness, I am hugely excited to have a place to run the Perkins Great Eastern Run on Sunday 9th October, 2016, and I want to use the opportunity to raise money for Crohn's and Colitis UK. This charity does a fantastic job of raising awareness of inflammatory bowel disease, supporting life-changing research into causes and treatments, working with the health sector to improve diagnosis and treatment, and supporting people with IBD, like me, both practically and emotionally.

I would be so grateful if you would donate however much you feel you can to support me with this personal challenge, and, more importantly, to support the 300,000 people across the UK who are living with this hidden illness. 

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.