5 years ago, in January 2015 my little sister Samantha sadly passed away at the age of 33 having suffered pneumonia and having had many battles with severe epilepsy, due to her cerebral palsy.

A link to my story below, if you would like to know more about Sammy:

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/she-inspiration-woman-speaks-tragic-1428595

Each year I run this race in memory of my own special little star who despite all the struggles she had with fits, limited mobility, an amputation and no speech ability, still had a smile that would melt the coldest of hearts.

It is through this Charity, Special Stars that I feel I can do something positive for young people and adults and their families who have special needs, whilst keeping my sisters’ memory alive.

Having grown up in a family with a sibling who was dependent on those around her to do everything, I appreciate how tiring and isolating it is and how valuable this charity really is for people.

The biggest support for families who have a child/adult with special needs is to be with other families who are experiencing something similar and to also free themselves of this judgemental and often unsympathetic world.

Since I began running for them, they are now offering activities and sessions for adults with special needs as well as children.
Had this charity been around when my sister was alive, I know as a family we would have felt we all had somewhere to go with likeminded people that empathised with how we felt.

So here I go again, my fifth year running for this amazing charity, hopefully to earn a little more, to help provide more respite for these special people in our world.

I consider myself to be very privileged to have experienced caring for my sister and it has taught me to be grateful for who I am and be happy and content with the life I have been given.

If sammy could have ever spoken, I hope she would say she would be proud that I’d do this in her memory.

Thank you for your support. :-)

Special Stars Foundation is a registered charity supporting people with disabilities and their families, in Hull and East Yorkshire. (Registered Charity number: 1156237)We provide a diverse range of inclusive and accessible activities for people with disabilities and their families, with the aim of reducing social isolation. In addition, we offer a range of support, training, therapy and advice services for parent carers.
www.heyspecialstars.co.uk