For the past couple years I've been running to keep fit and healthy, I've taken part in the odd half marathon with another 5 signed up for this year as well as 10Ks and 5Ks. So what better challenge than the London Marathon.

I wanted to run the Marathon in honour of someone and knew that MS was very close to my best friend's heart. In June 2020 Jackie Richards very sadly passed away after years of living with MS, yet you'd never know with how bubbly she was. I unfortunately never had the chance to meet her but from the stories I've heard from her daughter and my best friend Caitlin, I know how much she meant to her family friends and how much of a rock she was for her three daughters. She never let the fact she had MS stop her and tried her best to do whatever she could and her daughters were always on hand to help her too. 

MS is a disease of the central nervous system - which effects your brain and spinal cord. It is an auto-immune disease where instead of attacking an infection or virus, the immune system gets confused and attacks the nerve cells damaging the protective sheath. 

In 2020 COVID-19 hit the entire world, putting everyone at risk but more so those who had existing health conditions.  In June 2020 Jackie contracted COVID-19, and with an already fragile immune system the prognosis was not good. I was deeply saddened to hear of her passing and knew that it would hit the Richards deeply. I know how much Jackie meant to Caitlin and can't begin to imagine what her and her sisters have been through, not only in the past 2 years since Jackie's passing but over the past several years looking after their mother too. 

I wanted to give something back to a community that doesn't always have the most attention, something that isn't always at the top of people's list, but most importantly to try and help more families like the Richards, that need and always appreciate any help. MS-UK became an obvious choice and I'm deeply honoured that they have chosen me but more so that I can run this Marathon, my first, in memory of Jackie Richards. 

I hope you can donate whatever you can towards this amazing charity and wish me the biggest luck in the world as I try and get through those 26miles! Please also share this with everyone you know to spread the word. 

MS-UK is a national charity dedicating to empowering people affected by multiple sclerosis to live happier and healthier lives. We are here for the 130,000 people that have MS, their family and carers. We work to improve the understanding of MS and provide support where it is needed most. Our services include our helpline providing information and emotional support, a national telephone counselling service and a bi-monthly magazine called New Pathways. Everything we do supports people to manage this incurable condition and increase their health and wellbeing.Every donation counts!£50 could pay for a telephone counselling session for someone struggling with their mental health, £200 is the cost of 10 complementary subscriptions to our New Pathways magazine for those who cannot afford it. £2,520 would help us support people through our national MS-UK helpline and web chat for a whole week. Any donation you can make, big or small, will help us sustain our all-important services.