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**ALICIA RUNS THE LONDON MARATHON 2019**

On Sunday 28th April, I will be running my first-ever marathon for Bloodwise! This is the biggest challenge I have EVER undertaken and I feel unbelievably privileged to be running for such a fantastic cause.Whilst I have done several half marathons, I know that running a marathon is a completely different beast and will demand every bit of me on the day! Raising my target of £2000 for Bloodwise would be incredible and will definitely help drive me through the final painful 6 miles let alone the months of gruelling training!

Bloodwise conducts word-class research into the prevention and treatment of blood cancer whilst providing emotional and practical support to patients and their families. The charity invests in and supports over 400 researchers and nurtures these relationships. To name but a few, Bloodwise has funded the researcher Dr Stephen Daw who has been looking into new methods of treating Hodgkin's Lymphoma, particularly in young people. 

On a personal level, it means a lot to me to run for Bloodwise and raise as much money as I possibly can, having had close family members affected by the disease. When I was four years old, my father, Gerry, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. My father was only 36 years old when he was diagnosed with two children under the age of 6 (myself and Ollie) and a third on the way (Elliot). The news was a terrible shock to the whole family. My father underwent chemotherapy for 6 months and radiotherapy for 6 weeks. Whilst undergoing treatment, my father caught pneumonia which meant he was put in Intensive Care for an extended period of time. Fortunately, thanks to the incredible support he received from his consultants, hospital staff  and all those working behind closed doors on the latest research and technology, my father was given the all clear and is in remission. My father has gone on to lead an incredibly fulfilling life full of optimism and happiness and he and my family will always be incredibly grateful for the care that he received.