Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

We have had a year from hell!

Most people who are reading this will understand how difficult it is to put our story out there. We are a positive family and it's difficult to ask for help from people including family who love us.

Many of you will remember that in 2016 I completed the mighty Sandman Triathlon and raised money for the Addisons Disease Self Help Group (ADSHG) as they provide guidance and support to families like our's.

We are now two years post diagnosis and although Molly has good days, she still has many bad days. Growing up with Addisons is incredibly tough, however, she shows the resilience and determination that most people could only dream of. Sometime this has become too much for Molly and she has hit so many lows that we felt she could never get back up. It has affected every single aspect of our lives.

September 2017 was when everyone in our family hit an all time low. Seeing someone suffer every single day had a detrimental affect on our whole family as we began to realise at points she didn't want to carry on putting that beautiful smile on her face. She didn't want to talk to anyone and she couldn't find a way through those dark clouds and find the rainbows we always say are still there because of her and her sister.

We asked for help and were lucky enough to get some. Family, friends,colleges and agencies all rallied round and tried to support our family. How could they understand the constant worry or the constant strain our family has been put through from the second our household wakes up? They tried so hard and we appreciate each and every one of you for that.

ADSHG were the only people we could turn to who had a full understanding of how this affects people with Addisons and we are eternally grateful for the support you have given to our family. Being able to ask questions, check you are not going mad and that others have been through similar situations whether as a parent of someone with Addisons or a person living with the condition. No question was ever too silly.

ADSHG have been a life saver from knowing there are people you can talk to who know and understand what we are going through and meeting people who have lived through Molly's story. Their organised events have shown Molly that she can survive, she can succeed, she can have a family, she can and she will have a normal life (once the balance of medication is right). She can keep looking for the rainbows every single day. The organisation have allowed us to know that everything will be OK and it is perfectly fine to have a bad day every now and again.

We are the lucky ones! We realise this when we see articles where parents have lost their children through undiagnosed cases of Addison's disease.

Molly faces challenges every single day, so I have decided to challenge myself over the next 12 months, every month I will be completing a challenge (writing this was one so let's say I'm doing 13). So here goes.

July - Row 15km gym based

August - Swim 5km pool based

September - 10km trail race

October - 5 mile run followed by 5km swim ending with 5 mile run

November - TBC (never done one of those)

December - Marathon

January - Row 10km, ride 50km, run 10km all gym based (indoor triathlon)

February - family fun run (to please my wife for her 40th)

March - 1,900m swim, 56 mile ride, half marathon (half ironman distance)

April - 100 mile bike ride (wife smiles reluctantly)

May - trail marathon (wife still smiling... Sort of)

June - Calderdale 50 (ultra marathon, wife not happy with this one at all).

Based on the fact that it is tough, this challenge I have set myself for the next 12 months will show Molly I support her each and every day through her challenges and to show Ruby that we can face life head-on and support each other through anything life throws at our family.

Please, please dig deep. I am doing this so maybe one day through the education and developments of medication from ADSHG we could save lives and they can continue to support families like mine.

Thank you