Lindsay Smith
Linds wants you to help kids with Eczema
Fundraising for National Eczema Society
Story
My twin boys have had severe eczema since they were 2 months old. Itching from eczema meant my children (and wife) didn't have an uninterrupted nights sleep for 4 years, no exaggeration. I've been with my kids to hospital with infected eczema 7 times, viral infection was the worst, it wasn't correctly diagnosed for 4 months and my kids had 6 courses of antibiotics in 3 months. It was a bloody awful time.
No one knows how to cure it, or why 1 in 3 children get it. The treatments are pretty unsophisticated.
I have some pictures of my kids eczema that would make you weep, no children should have to suffer that. One of my boys walked with a limp for a few months because he didn't want to straighten his legs as the backs of his knees would crack and bleed. (and not heal)
Your money is going to a good cause and I am shamelessly using my childrens suffering as babies to ask you to donate to the Eczema Society. If an adult has eczema I am not so bothered, an adult can understand what is going on, know how to apply creams and releive the suffering. Babies just suffer and scratch themselves to pieces.
If anyone reading this has babies with eczema I would recommend you get in touch with the eczema society where you can get some good quality information. Don't listen to dim but well meaning people telling you of the "cure" they found (chinese medecine, homeopathy, diet, some product). Eczema is complicated and poorly understood and triggered by loads of things so get some decent information from the Eczema society.
Also I would highly recommend you get a referral to the pediatric eczema clinic at the Homerton starlight clinic run by a doctor called Portia Goldsmith. We went to 5 clinics, this was the best.
When I decided to do the marathon I only applied to the Eczema society. I thought if I was going to have to ask my friends to give money to a charity, Eczema society would be one charity where I could unembarressly ask for money. NES only have 2 Gold Bond runners, they are a very small charity compared to MacMillan or NSPCC who have hundreds of runners so your donation really makes a difference and isn't a meaningless drop in the bucket.
16 Oct - Thanks Patti you were my first sponsor. Really appreciated. Anytime you need help with your laptop just call me.
3 Nov - Thanks Amy you are my second sponsor. That is really kind of you.
11 Nov - Thanks Ami. No problem regards assembling chest of drawers. Slightly bigger job than I expected! Any time.
24 Nov - Thanks blister.
27 Nov - Thanks J,L and C - couldn't come from nicer people
29 Dec - Chuck you old dog. You are my sugar daddie.
Richard - thanks! wow - the kindness of strangers. If you fancy some company on a long Sunday morning run sometime let me know.
Ram - not just just a bloody good developer but generous!
Col - thanks, you have very generous colleagues, who are doing good work.
Steve - you'll be running soon!
Ricky and Clare and Craig - Thanks! Really kind. If you have anything to do with Protopic keep up the good work. Really great that its been approved. If you are doing some charity work your selves don't forget to hit me up.
Janice - Special mention! Thats extremely generous.
Sally - many thanks, there are other parents whose children have it worse than mine, and mine have pretty much grown out of it, or at least its very easily managed now. So I am comparitively fortunate.
Cheers Matt, I'm more forest gump than eye of the tiger
Lucy and Dan - I am really touched. Cod be with you.
Valerie and Ian - Very kind, next time you are in Islington, I'll bring the boys down for inspection.
Tevis and Debbie, I am feeling the love.
Aura, D & L, - You and me on the podium, fastest Mummy and Daddy, Grasmere School 2009.
Caro - Networking - nothing is more fascinating. Bring it on. ;-)
Ruth, Tom and girls, many many thanks! I'll think of you too.
Em - you said it. You can tell you are Jims sister. Thanks very much.
Jim - thank you very much. I'll look for the Callaghans in Greenwich.
Em & Lewis - Jim tells me you are through the tough years with Eczema. Its a bloody hard road isn't it?
Hitchcock Family - thanks, it's really appreciated. You are supporting your friends Em & Lewis also by supporting this charity. Many thanks.
M&D - thanks - much appreciated
J, A, L &M - thanks, wheels on the bus, whatever it takes at this point
Sasi - thanks - you are very kind
Anne, Trevor and Lollie - thanks - much appreciated
Dorcas, S, J & H - very neighbourly - I am telling your Marathon story to every runner I meet which causes them to grimace in pain.
Derek van Flannel - I know who you are ;-)
The Fleets! U R Fen-tastic.
Jan, Lily and Conor - let me know where your plan to be and i will watch out for you.
Trevor - thank you - heard all about your NY marathon. Many thanks.
Rob - nice one. Should I live, we can finally go for a beer after work.
Number 42 - Many thanks. I doubt I will have any dignity left to lose at the end!
Daniel - Jag kommer att hålla utkik efter dig. Leta efter en gammal trött man joggade bakom sexiga unga flickor.
Mr Diggins - many thanks!
Margaret - You have got a fair return on your investment ;-) Many thanks, see you soon.
Donna, you are lovely!
Steve - thanks - that really cheered me up, Many thanks.
Dave and Heather - thanks that gave me a boost
Jane and Paul - many thanks
Tom - Thank you
Neroli - many thanks
John and Grainne - Thank you
Sara and Kev and Billy - many thanks - you know Kev secretly wants to do it.
Nick Laura, A&E - many thanks, long time no see, how are you?
I did it and it was hard. The first 20 miles were ok, crowded and hot but ok. Then at about 20.5 (leaving Docklands) I ran out of steam. It wasn't like a wall, it was more like the clock had wound down. So I ate loads of jelly babies from the incredible spectators, who were amazing, and had to walk/jog the last six miles because of cramps in my calves. Every mile of the last 6 miles was very hard.
Thanks very much for your donation, and thanks to my wife Tracey for being so supportive over the last 6 months.
Would I do it again? I have no idea right now, but I am elated to have done it.
No one knows how to cure it, or why 1 in 3 children get it. The treatments are pretty unsophisticated.
I have some pictures of my kids eczema that would make you weep, no children should have to suffer that. One of my boys walked with a limp for a few months because he didn't want to straighten his legs as the backs of his knees would crack and bleed. (and not heal)
Your money is going to a good cause and I am shamelessly using my childrens suffering as babies to ask you to donate to the Eczema Society. If an adult has eczema I am not so bothered, an adult can understand what is going on, know how to apply creams and releive the suffering. Babies just suffer and scratch themselves to pieces.
If anyone reading this has babies with eczema I would recommend you get in touch with the eczema society where you can get some good quality information. Don't listen to dim but well meaning people telling you of the "cure" they found (chinese medecine, homeopathy, diet, some product). Eczema is complicated and poorly understood and triggered by loads of things so get some decent information from the Eczema society.
Also I would highly recommend you get a referral to the pediatric eczema clinic at the Homerton starlight clinic run by a doctor called Portia Goldsmith. We went to 5 clinics, this was the best.
When I decided to do the marathon I only applied to the Eczema society. I thought if I was going to have to ask my friends to give money to a charity, Eczema society would be one charity where I could unembarressly ask for money. NES only have 2 Gold Bond runners, they are a very small charity compared to MacMillan or NSPCC who have hundreds of runners so your donation really makes a difference and isn't a meaningless drop in the bucket.
16 Oct - Thanks Patti you were my first sponsor. Really appreciated. Anytime you need help with your laptop just call me.
3 Nov - Thanks Amy you are my second sponsor. That is really kind of you.
11 Nov - Thanks Ami. No problem regards assembling chest of drawers. Slightly bigger job than I expected! Any time.
24 Nov - Thanks blister.
27 Nov - Thanks J,L and C - couldn't come from nicer people
29 Dec - Chuck you old dog. You are my sugar daddie.
Richard - thanks! wow - the kindness of strangers. If you fancy some company on a long Sunday morning run sometime let me know.
Ram - not just just a bloody good developer but generous!
Col - thanks, you have very generous colleagues, who are doing good work.
Steve - you'll be running soon!
Ricky and Clare and Craig - Thanks! Really kind. If you have anything to do with Protopic keep up the good work. Really great that its been approved. If you are doing some charity work your selves don't forget to hit me up.
Janice - Special mention! Thats extremely generous.
Sally - many thanks, there are other parents whose children have it worse than mine, and mine have pretty much grown out of it, or at least its very easily managed now. So I am comparitively fortunate.
Cheers Matt, I'm more forest gump than eye of the tiger
Lucy and Dan - I am really touched. Cod be with you.
Valerie and Ian - Very kind, next time you are in Islington, I'll bring the boys down for inspection.
Tevis and Debbie, I am feeling the love.
Aura, D & L, - You and me on the podium, fastest Mummy and Daddy, Grasmere School 2009.
Caro - Networking - nothing is more fascinating. Bring it on. ;-)
Ruth, Tom and girls, many many thanks! I'll think of you too.
Em - you said it. You can tell you are Jims sister. Thanks very much.
Jim - thank you very much. I'll look for the Callaghans in Greenwich.
Em & Lewis - Jim tells me you are through the tough years with Eczema. Its a bloody hard road isn't it?
Hitchcock Family - thanks, it's really appreciated. You are supporting your friends Em & Lewis also by supporting this charity. Many thanks.
M&D - thanks - much appreciated
J, A, L &M - thanks, wheels on the bus, whatever it takes at this point
Sasi - thanks - you are very kind
Anne, Trevor and Lollie - thanks - much appreciated
Dorcas, S, J & H - very neighbourly - I am telling your Marathon story to every runner I meet which causes them to grimace in pain.
Derek van Flannel - I know who you are ;-)
The Fleets! U R Fen-tastic.
Jan, Lily and Conor - let me know where your plan to be and i will watch out for you.
Trevor - thank you - heard all about your NY marathon. Many thanks.
Rob - nice one. Should I live, we can finally go for a beer after work.
Number 42 - Many thanks. I doubt I will have any dignity left to lose at the end!
Daniel - Jag kommer att hålla utkik efter dig. Leta efter en gammal trött man joggade bakom sexiga unga flickor.
Mr Diggins - many thanks!
Margaret - You have got a fair return on your investment ;-) Many thanks, see you soon.
Donna, you are lovely!
Steve - thanks - that really cheered me up, Many thanks.
Dave and Heather - thanks that gave me a boost
Jane and Paul - many thanks
Tom - Thank you
Neroli - many thanks
John and Grainne - Thank you
Sara and Kev and Billy - many thanks - you know Kev secretly wants to do it.
Nick Laura, A&E - many thanks, long time no see, how are you?
I did it and it was hard. The first 20 miles were ok, crowded and hot but ok. Then at about 20.5 (leaving Docklands) I ran out of steam. It wasn't like a wall, it was more like the clock had wound down. So I ate loads of jelly babies from the incredible spectators, who were amazing, and had to walk/jog the last six miles because of cramps in my calves. Every mile of the last 6 miles was very hard.
Thanks very much for your donation, and thanks to my wife Tracey for being so supportive over the last 6 months.
Would I do it again? I have no idea right now, but I am elated to have done it.