Lilypad is a charity founded by my brilliant sister and brother-in-law, Zoe and Yannick, to provide support and new experiences to children with complex medical needs, to purchase medical equipment and/or care to support them at home and to help make a wish come true.

Zoe and Yannick's daughter Lily was born with a medical condition for which there is no diagnosis. Lily's condition is characterised by infantile epilepsy and abnormal brain wave patterns. She has hemihypertrophy (a rare condition where the left hand side of her body, and organs, are smaller than the right hand side) as well as severe scoliosis for which she has had several long and complex operations on her spine.

All of this means that Lily is unable to communicate verbally, her sight is poor, she is tube fed and cannot hold her head independently or use her limbs. Lily spent the first 6 months of her life in hospital, and has spent many many months since, recovering from surgery and during the winter months on oxygen to support her breathing.

Lily does have her hearing and responds happily to the voices of her family and carers. She loves listening to music, being massaged, having her hair done, going for walks and Zoe and Yannick have been incredible in including Lily in their family adventures, with a birthday trip up Mont Blanc to the Aiguille de Midi, with her two brothers Tom and Jule, and more recently a cycling weekend for Yannick's 50th birthday.

Lily is now 16 years old, which is a miracle in itself but of absolutely no surprise to anyone that knows her; she is a warrior, so brave and has more courage than words can depict.

During the week Lily stays at a special needs school, Les Magnolias, and at weekends she spends time at home with her family, and their dog Pablo.

Lilypad is named after Lily, as a tribute to her courage, and pad to depict the home. The lotus flower is also representative of beauty that is seen on the surface, often hiding the struggle for growth from within.

I am running the London Marathon 2024 to raise funds for Lilypad. My 46 year old knees hate me for it, but if I can muster just a small portion of the courage that Lily does everyday, I can drag these knees 26.2 miles through the big smoke.

Thank you for any donation you are able to make. x

A little note for those of you that don't know, Lily and her family live in Les Percivaux, France and the charity is registered with the Republique Francaise. This doesn't restrict the charities remit, anyone across the globe can apply to Lilypad for financial support.