My Dad was a great Dad, Grandad, and Husband to my Mum.

Just before his 50th Birthday he fell off a ladder and broke his back but battled back and was able to walk. Then, about 5 years ago, he discovered he had Cerebellar Ataxia, a little known and rare condition of the brain that is incurable. It is a slowly progressive disorder that affects the person's balance, co-ordination, speech and ability to swallow.

My Dad was looking forward to his retirement at the age of 65, but then two months after retiring in July 2011, he was diagnosed with an aggressive Glioblastoma brain tumour. He had surgery to remove most of the tumour and then radiotherapy, but despite this he died on 22nd January 2012. He was at home where he wanted to be and being looked after by his family and the Willowburn Hospice home carers.

My Dad remained positive throughout all this and never complained. That was just the way he was. I always told him that I would get him running with me one day and he always agreed. Sadly that was not the case but when I go for a run it gives me time to think about him.

Eva and I have entered the Thirsk 10 Mile race on 25th March to raise money for the Willowburn Hospice in Lanchester. We have opened another Just Giving page at http://www.justgiving.com/Eva-Larsen if you would like to donate to this charity.

I have also entered the Edinburgh Marathon on 27th May. I have a place through the Brain Research Trust, a charity that raises money for research into many brain related disorders including brain tumours and cerebellar ataxia. You can read more about them by following the link on this page.

We hear a lot in the press about how you should eat more healthily to avoid getting cancer. Well that is not the case with brain cancer. My Dad was very healthy. You either get it or you don't and they don't know why. That is why it is important to research these areas more.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.