Hello everyone, I'm running the Brighton Half Marathon for 5 year old Max Cooper and 5 year old Nicola Pachulska.

Max’s Story

Max Cooper who is my friends Sam and Ashleigh's son. Max started school in September despite having endured some of the toughest battles anyone should have to fight.

On 22nd May Max was diagnosed with Lymphoma which is cancer of the lymph nodes. This was after multiple blood tests, scans and a biopsy. On 26th May it was confirmed to be Hodgkin Lymphoma. This has been the most heartbreaking and painful experince for them as a family. Since then Max has had a CT scan, PET scan, chest X-ray, ECHO (heart scan) and had an operation to have a portacath inserted which is what they use to administer chemotherapy and take bloods.

Max has also had an NG tube fitted as the 4 types of medication he has at home were so horrific he refused to take them. This includes steroids which make him very angry on top of the fear and frustration he has to already deal with. They have to give all his medication through the tube.

Max has had two cycles of chemotherapy.

Max then had another CT scan and PET scan to show how well he reacted to the treatment. The results showed that there had been a 50% decrease in the tumour but there was still active lymphoma.This meant that Max had to undergo 2 1/2 weeks of Radiotherapy. For this to happen as smoothly as possible they had to stay in Belmont near to the Royal Marsden Hospital. This is because Max had to be put under general anaesthetic for the radiotherapy to take place. This finished on 13th September.

On 11th Dec Max was given the all clear but the effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy will last until March when he will then begin regular testing to ensure the cancer doesn't return.

Nicola’s story

Nicola is my daughters friend at school and last year her parents and family got the most devastating news no parent ever wants to get.

This is her parents story.

NICOLA

Our bundle of joy was born on 4th February 2012.

She was almost 4 kg of pure happiness and a picture of health. Always full of energy, Nicola could never be bored. Boredom was her biggest enemy! She could never stop cutting, drawing and sticking. Manual activities are her biggest passion. Nicola loves spending time with her friends and her younger brother Max. He is 2,5 years old and a competition in getting a seat at the dining table. They fight over it all the time!

Or at least they used to...Right now, Nicola has a different fight to win. She is battling with “Mr. Mushroom” in her little head. She knows it is there…

OUR STORY

The first noticeable symptoms were problems with maintaining balance, climbing the stairs and a slight weakness on the left side of the body.

On 27th October the ambulance took our little Nicola to the children's neurosurgical ward at the Southampton University Hospital, where, after a MRI scan under general anaesthetic and good few hours of impatient waiting, we finally heard the verdict: Childhood brain stem glioma - DIPG , inoperable. Survival rate: low After the second consultation, doctors decided to carry out the histopathological examination of the tumour. This procedure will be the basis for a credible diagnosis of the type of the tumour and a reliable baseline for further, optimal treatment.

Until now we have been an average, happy family. We had our dreams and plans for the future. Due to Nicola’s illness, our world has been turned upside down and our life has became a nightmare. We never looked looked at our little girl the same way. Her voice, touch and smell is so precious and every moment.

Nicola is still undergoing surgery and tests to help her fight this awful disease.

Due to these horrible circumstances both families now caring for their amazing children full time and are unable to work, I will not only be running for Max and Nicola,

I will be running for both families to hopefully give them some financial support which they 110% deserve.