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My nephew Nathan McLeod is a twin but as well as being a twin, he has also been given the additional challenge of being a Sturge Weber superhero! Nathan and his twin brother Daryl, entered the world on the 25th March 2010.  They were 4 wks early and Nathan weighed a whopping 7lbs 7 and Daryl was 6lbs 12! Their mummy Anna is only 5ft!! She is the real superwoman!  Nathan was in special care for a week and took his 1st seizure at 8wks old and was seizing all day. He has bilateral sws and glaucoma. 

Having sws brings many challenges for Nathan and his family. Both his mum and dad had to give up their jobs to become full time carers, as you can imagine, their lives changed forever. Nathan is so lucky to have such amazing, loving and caring parents who go that extra mile to make sure he has the best opportunities that life has to offer. They have had to give up so much but their determination and hard work is second to none. 

Nathan attends Southcraig Special Needs School and Daryl attends Forehill Primary. Daryl is thriving at school and has such a lovely bond with his brother. Due to how complex Nathan's condition is, it means that Chris and Anna have very little, if any, time to themselves. They truely are the two most amazing and strong humans I know and I'm so lucky to call them family. When Daryl and Nathan were babies, it was hard as you can imagine with the ignorant people who would point and stare. This was hard to accept and would be much easier if they spoke to Nathan's mum and dad and asked questions instead of staring. He is unique as he has a port wine stain which covers a large part of his face. Nathan's brain is affected which has left him without speech or the ability to walk however, he has his own way of communicating and his smile just lightens up the room. He recognises people and is beginning to make eye contact with them. This is a way of life for Nathan's family. He doesn't sleep much which can be difficult and needs around the clock care. I take my hat off to my brother in law and sister in law.  Nathan is a sws superhero and his brother Daryl is a star. I hope that by raising awareness of this condition, people will donate little, no matter how big or small, as it will help support families like Nathan's. I am running this half marathon with the intention of making a difference to people's lives.  Please visit the sws website to find out more about the condition. 

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Love Mel xxx

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