The last couple of years have been pretty sh*tty for everyone, everywhere. Me included.

I’d been suffering with depression for a couple of years following the diagnosis of my son with a very rare genetic disorder – 1q21.1 micro deletion. I decided I needed to do something – I started walking, getting some head space and fresh air. I then started to jog a bit and the jogging turned to running. It really helped me. I lost one of my closest friends, Matt Palmer in 2020 to Leukodystrophy which is another genetic disorder. I then started to run even further. Again it helped me.

I was contacted by a fantastic charity, Gene People who helped us when my son was diagnosed – they asked if I would like to run the London Marathon on their behalf. It seemed too good to be true, the opportunity to raise money for a charity who provide so much information and support to those affected with Genetic Disorders and a once in a lifetime chance to run in one of the world’s most iconic marathons.

While individual genetic disorders are rare, it is thought that there are currently more than 6,000 diagnosed disorders and new disorders are being identified every day. It is estimated that 1 in 25 children is affected by a genetic disorder. This means that in the UK, 30,000 babies and children are newly diagnosed each year and more than 2.4 million children and adults are living with a genetic disorder.

I know times are tough but if you can help, whatever you can give will make a huge difference. Thank you