<p>Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.</p> <p>My best friend - my dear mum - suffered a severe stroke just before Christmas 2011. She spent 14 weeks in hospital before being moved to a nursing home at the end of March. At the time of writing she remains bed-ridden, unable to speak or swallow and requires round the clock care. Learning about the effects of stroke has been a profound education for my family and for me but this sad event in our lives has driven me to want to help others in any small way I can through supporting The Stroke Association. Running is something I can most definitely do; asking my friends and colleagues for as much sponsorship as possible is also something I can do so please make a donation via my Just Giving page. I know that there are so many competing charities but this cause has touched me deeply. This will be my first marathon and I will be running it for my mum.</p> <p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>Thank you.</p>