In October 2020, one of the worst things imaginable happened to my family. My nephew Harry, who lives in Australia, was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma, a type of cancer. Over the space of about a week, he went from a happy, normal child to one who was critically ill, fighting for his life in ICU.

The next few months were touch and go. In hospital Harry was braver than I'll ever be, dealing with round after round of chemo with the incredible spirit that only children have. Over the months, thanks to the amazing specialists at Perth Children's Hospital, we slowly started to see positive signs. February 2022 marks a full year since he left hospital. Watching him on video calls now, you almost wouldn't know what he'd been through. I can't tell you how amazing it is to see him laugh, play and smile with his new sister. While his diagnosis was the worst thing possible, his recovery so far has been the best thing that's ever happened.

Cancer will always be part of Harry's story. He'll have regular scans up until he's 18, and none of us will forget the experience. But right now he's doing well, and that's all anyone could ever ask for.

Living in the UK during the pandemic, I found it incredibly difficult not being able to get to Australia and support my family. I knew there was nothing I could do about Harry's illness, but I felt so frustrated not being able to help in any way; whether to hug my sister, or bring things to the hospital, or support her through the hardest moments, or help with any of the routine daily tasks she still had to face.

Luckily, Hayley and her husband Bob could rely on Kids Cancer Support Group, which enriches the lives of families dealing with childhood cancer. In the worst possible moments, this fantastic charity helps parents navigate emotional distress, offers supportive places for families and friends, organises on-ward events for children, and provides peer to peer support groups for families going through the same thing. When Harry received invasive treatments, members of the charity would visit and let him choose a brand new toy. It helped him cope with the pain, and made Hayley and Bob's daily life just that bit more manageable. Last Christmas day, when they were all stuck in hospital and nowhere was open for food, KCSG helped them by delivering Christmas hampers. It's an incredible charity.

They helped my family when I couldn't. For that, no amount of money I could raise would ever be enough. But I want to help them continue to support the 100 families in WA each year impacted by their child's diagnosis with cancers or blood disorders.

So this year I'm running four marathons, one for each year of Harry's life so far:

Southampton marathon - 24 April 2022
Bewl Water marathon - 22 May 2022
Exmoor Endurancelife cross country marathon - 11 June 2022
Manchester Marathon - 16 April 2023

If you can, please donate so KCSG can make sure no family has to face the worst alone. 

Just so you know, as KCSG is an Australian charity you're donation amount will be shown in Australian dollars. The exchange rate from the UK is around £0.60GBP = $1 AUD.

Thank you!