On April 23rd 2017 I shall be running the London Marathon in aid of the Piam Brown Ward at Southampton Hospital. This is a charity of huge importance to our family as it is where Freddie my younger brother was treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and they saved his life. I was 11 at the time all I remember was Mum coming to collect me from a hockey match that I had been playing in, her taking me in the car, telling me the news and then seeing Freddie in Hospital. It was a truly horrid thing to see my little just five-year-old brother wired up to all these tubes and stuck in hospital. I shall never forget that day, it changed my life completely.



Next March 2017 will be ten years on from Freddie diagnosis and I thought what better way to celebrate then to take some full on proper exercise and raise some money in the meantime. It coincides with the Ward at the Hospital being totally refurbished. Sadly the NHS did not have enough funds to pay for it all and so this is where your money comes in. Believe you me, I went to the opening and it is so different to when Freddie was there it is amazing. It gives children and their families more comfort and privacy, which is so important when you are in hospital.



So please please do give generously. I can’t imagine what life would have been like if Bodie, my nickname for Freddie, had not made it through. Mum hates this but last year I got tattoo done and it’s the date Freddie finished his treatment. It means that much to me.



I am challenging myself to run it in 3 and ½ hours, which is a competitive time, so I need to get my trainers on and go for it. Your support will mean so much.



Many thanks,



Hugo