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I finished the London Marathon 2012  in a time of 3 hours 28 minutes and 59 seconds.  THANK YOU to all of you who have so kindly donated so far; I really have been overwhelmed by your generosity. The race went fantastically for the first 15 miles, and then I got horrendous cramp in my legs. I had to stop to stretch out, but it didn't seem to help much! But I battled on (which I DEFINITELY couldn't have done without knowing how much support I had behind me - THANK YOU), and completed the full 26.2 mile London Marathon (see photo of my medal!). Without a doubt the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Every step was agony, but every step was worth it for this fantastic charity. Lots of Love, Yaz  Have a listen to my BBC Radio Cumbria interview: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00qvt9f">#mce_temp_url#</a> (listen from 30 minutes in!) The Reason I was extremely fortunate be awarded a place by Action for M.E., a small charity, whose work many of you may be unaware of. Not only does Action for M.E. help many thousands of those affected by M.E. across the country, but I have chosen to run for this fantastic charity for extremely personal reasons. It is now 11 and a half years since my older brother Ben became suddenly ill and progressively more disabled, with what was subsequently diagnosed as M.E. (Myalgic Encephalopathy / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). Ben first became unwell in October 2000, in the autumn term of his school Year 6. This has not been simply "Tired all the Time", as within weeks he was unable to walk unaided, and was suffering severe fatigue, nausea and headaches. By April 2001, a couple of months after Ben’s 11th birthday, he had become bedbound, paralysed, tubefed and only able to utter a handful of simple words. Along with this, he had severe sensitivity to light and noise, extremely deteriorated vision and was frequently sick. Ben remained that ill for two years, after which we began to see tiny "drips" of improvement. Three years ago (2008) he was able to stop the tube feeding, and in 2010 he began to spend a few hours each day out of bed in a supportive, reclining armchair. In the summer of 2010 he occasionally spent some time in the garden, but had otherwise not left the house for 10 years. Now aged 22 he has had no formal education since aged 10, but astonishes us with the amount he has taught himself, and has worked through a couple of OU courses. He very much enjoys conversation with us and family friends, but sadly has lost his peer friendships as he was so young when he became ill.   Since the start of 2011, Ben has made remarkable improvements. He is now able to stand and walk, with support, and is beginning to regain his independence (use a knife and fork, write, wash etc) which he has been without for so long. He remains optimistic that he will eventually become fit enough to go away to University, but the future remains uncertain.    The Charity Action for M.E. is currently looking at producing the UK's first biobank for research into the illness. A biobank would allow the systematic collection, storage and examination of blood and other tissues from people living with M.E. for the purpose of research. This will support the fundamental research that is necessary to establish the causes of the illness and develop more effective treatments. As well as funding research, Action for M.E. produces publications, and campaigns hard to raise awareness of M.E. It is committed to doing everything within its power to ensure that people with M.E. are provided with advice and support throughout their illness. Please see Action for M.E.'s website: www.actionforme.org.uk.   Thank You Thank you for reading about why I have chosen to run for such a worthwhile cause. Action for M.E. has been a lifeline for my family, and many others affected by M.E. Not only am I hoping to raise plenty of money, but raising awareness of this relatively unknown and poorly understood illness is of equal importance to me. If you are able to make a donation, of any amount, then there are two ways to do this: 1) Donate via the "Donate" button at the top of this page. 2) Send a text to 70070 with "YAZC91" and the amount you want to donate.                         So to donate £3, text "YAZC91 £3" to 70070   Once again, thank you for taking the time to visit my page. Much love, Yaz xxx   The Small Print 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. <a title="BBC Radio Cumbria interview" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00qvt9f">#mce_temp_url#</a>

Yaz's London Marathon for Action for M.E.

Yaz's London Marathon for Action for M.E.

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