WE DID IT!!!  An overall terrific day - much pain towards the end - we could not have fought any harder .  We can honestly look back and say we gave it our all, which is a very satisfying feeling.....www.marathonfoto.com  43257 RYALL, 43248 MATHER to see some pics  - click "buy" to enlarge!

If you have sponsored dad through his "£1 for every minute under 2008 time" I am proud to tell you he finished 26 minutes faster!  Well done dad!  In 2008 he crossed the line in 5hrs 54 mins and this time he crossed in 5 hrs 28 mins.  See www.virginlondonmarathon.com (Marathon centre, race results) for confirmation.

To everyone who has sponsored us so far - a massive thank you - your generosity and well wishes mean everything.  If you are new to our Team Peter page, then thanks for taking a few minutes to read our short story.....

WHAT DID WE DO?

On Sunday 25th April we ran the London Marathon with pain and pride for the National Autistic Society - and took the opportunity to be heroes for a day...

WHY DID WE DO IT?    www.nas.org.uk  

You see, one of our heroes is our 5 year old eldest son and grandson Peter who has autism.  Autism is a serious and complex developmental disability - it will affect Peter and thousands like him for life.  By us running the marathon, with you supporting us, we can together help the N.A.S. continue to provide vital help for people living with autism throughout the UK.

A LITTLE ABOUT PETER...

Peter often finds our world difficult to cope with  - to him it is a mass confusion of people and places, a bit like being in a foreign country where you don't speak the language.  He has limited speech and therefore finds communicating and making friends difficult.  He finds it hard doing things like riding a bike, playing football, learning to write - and lots of other things that you might take for granted with a typical child his age.  Peter has a love of routine - everything we do has to be very carefully planned and explained to him in ways that he might understand - often through pictures.  His senses are disordered - this affects his behaviour, sleeping, eating and toileting and more besides. 

Despite the challenges as a family we face, Peter helps us appreciate the simple things in life.  Peter is most happy and relaxed in the outdoors - if there is a muddy puddle to be found, he will be the first one there!  And, let's not forget Ted - he is only 2 - naturally it is hard trying to see to his needs and Peter's at the same time - but he is a little star and can't quite do it justice in words, but there is definitely a special love between them.  They both make us feel proud....

 

THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY

Their website is a brilliant source of help and information about autism - please take a look at www.nas.org.uk

As an example:

£20   provides specialist one to one befriending support for a person with autism or family member for a month

£75   pays for 3 families to attend the Earlybird programme (aimed at pre-school children with autism)

 

As parents, my husband Frank and I have already attended many of the special "Help!" courses that the N.A.S. run.  The courses are an invaluable way to get up to date advice and a chance to meet up with other parents and carers who share similar experiences to us.

 

Thanks in advance for your support - ANY amount you can give from as little as £2 makes a difference.

 

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.