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I am Katie and I am raising money for the charity WAY - Widowed and Young by running the Cardiff half marathon on 2nd October 2022. 

As many of you will know, I lost my partner and father to my two children John Rowe in a car accident on 7th November 2019. Our lives were instantly turned upside down. The notion of being young and having our lives ahead of us was ripped away, and I was left questioning how to continue to live, and most importantly raise my two boys on my own. It is fair to say I was in one of the deepest and darkest periods of my life, and with the Covid-19 lockdown looming, the struggle and isolation were about to get a lot worse. 

My lovely friend Clare suggested joining the charity WAY (Widowed and Young), in fact she signed up for me and paid my first year’s membership. As a typical millennial I spent a lot of time on social media, and WAY have an incredibly active Facebook group of young people who have lost their spouses. There we can safely share our thoughts, all of the worst and the best moments, support each other or simply have a rant. It became an invaluable resource to me, especially in lockdown when me and the boys were not only cut off from friends and family, but also struggling with our own grief. I can’t convey strongly enough how important it is to be able to talk about the experiences to others going through similarly painful and heartbreaking events, finally I felt like I wasn’t going crazy! 

WAY also supports people and families such as ours with financial and legal advice, events and meet ups, and the running of campaigns. One that is ongoing and particularly close to my heart is the current campaign to extend bereavement benefits to co-habiting couples, not just married couples as it stands now.

Any penny you can donate to this wonderful charity would be gratefully received. Everyday around 111 children under 18 in the UK lose a parent, I would love to show my appreciation to the charity by completing this challenge, and allowing them to continue with their fantastic work! 

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