I’m about to ask you for a small donation that will truly make a difference to a young person’s life, and in return I’ll train hard to complete the 26.2 miles of the Richmond Marathon this September.

Lucas White is a happy 5 year old, and one of my daughter Phoebe’s very first friends. They were born two days apart, and we met his parents, Katy and Dave, during our antenatal (NCT) classes, and our families enjoy spending regular time together.

Two years ago Lucas was diagnosed with the most common, and most serious form of a condition known as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This cruel and unforgiving disease is a terminal illness, and there is no known cure. It will mean Lucas is in a wheelchair by age 10, and sadly will likely not live to see his 30th birthday.

We hope with all our hearts that a cure is found, but until that we are here to play our part in helping Lucas to live a full, fun, and free life.

Your donation today will go towards that support, primarily towards some learning software called Clicker 7, and the computer and joystick for him to operate it. It’s a total cost of £1000.

Anything I can raise above that will go towards other specific areas of his care and support, including specialist equipment, home modifications, and life-changing technology, all of which is increasingly costly.

For my part, I’ll be taking on my greatest and most feared challenge: the marathon. Many of you know I’m a keen runner, and have enjoyed several half marathons, but I’ve been putting off the big one… until now.

Every penny you donate will put a spring in my step, and keep me focused through the long months of training ahead. I can’t do this without you, please donate today.

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To keep up with Lucas and his family's story, please follow his MuscleUp for Lucas Facebook page.

To learn more about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, visit the Action Duchenne website.