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Following on from yet another year's rejection to the London Marathon, Ju and Mark started to talk about doing something different.

You have probably by now seen Ju and Mark running the streets of Ilkeston, because on the 20 April 2014 they are running from Matlock back to Ilkeston on behalf of the Boparian Charity. This charity is looking at purchasing a specialised wheelchair for Mark's inspirational little boy Matthew, aged 9. The added twist to this run is Ju is St George and Mark is the ill fated dragon!!!

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Here's Mark story

My name is Mark Frost (40 something), once a career minded, over weight chartered accountant and now runner and here’s my story.

Just over eight years ago, I had to take a long hard look at myself and the direction my life was taking. Without my eldest son Matthew being seriously ill, I question where my life may be right now?

My son Matthew was born 11 November 2004 to proud parents, Mark and Claire. The pregnancy had been somewhat problematic, but we had been assured that things looked ok. However, soon after birth it was realised that things were not ok and Matthew was taken to intensive care for further investigations. It was later discovered that Matthew had a heart complaint called Tetrallogy of Fallot, this basically meant he had four individual things wrong with his heart and surgery would be required.

Matthew responded to medicine and we were able to bring him home a few days later. After 10 weeks, Matthew’s health deteriorated and he had to have an emergency heart bypass to allow enough blood to be oxygenated by his lungs, we were told this was only temporary and that full corrective surgery was still required.

On the 8 August 2006 it was decided by Matthew Cardiologist that Matthew would have the corrective surgery required to correct the four things wrong with his heart. Matthew underwent surgery at the Glenfield Heart hospital in Leicester. The operation, whilst taking 9 hours went very well and all parties were extremely pleased.

We were told that the next 24 hours would be critical. Imagine our anxiety as we clock watched every hour until the 24 hour period had elapsed.  Chest drains were removed and life support was turned down, everything looked so positive, then things went wrong!!!

Matthew had contracted an infection of the pancreas, causing Matthew’s pulse to go over 400 beats per minute a rate which his heart, post cardiac surgery could not maintain and Matthew went into cardiac arrest.

The surgeons and the doctors could not stabilise Matthew and this left only one possible solution to save him, ECMO (Extra Corporal Membrane Oxygen).  ECMO is the ultimate life support and undertakes the function of the heart and lungs which are basically turned off to allow them to rest and heal, in the hope when they are turned back on they can support the body once again.

Matthew spent 5 long days on ECMO before surgeons decided it time to restart the heart; unfortunately you cannot stay on ECMO forever, as it has significant side effects to other parts of the body. Matthew came off ECMO and his heart started to work to support his body, however this good news was greeted with very bad news. The period on ECMO and Matthew’s cardiac arrest had resulted in MULTIPLE ORGAN FAILURE every organ in Matthew’s body had stopped working form his brain to his lungs, to his liver and only drugs were keeping him alive.

Slowly but surely some of these organs started to work again and Matthew, whist still in a coma, made some progress.

During cardiac arrest his limbs had suffered poor blood perfusion, causing, what can only be described as frostbite all over his body, basically he was black from head to toe.

Following an MRI scan on Matthew’s brain, the neurologist reported that Matthew had suffered widespread brain damage and we, as parents had a big decision to make over Matthew’s life support. He also thought Matthew was blind.

The neurologist stressed that the next few days were critical and that the brain could heal, but the chances, considering the rest of Matthew’s complaints were slim.

To be precise – Matthew was only given a 10,000 / 1 chance of survival.

Over the next few weeks we watched our son lay dormant in a hospital bed, being kept alive only with drugs and the life support. We were starting to lose hope, as Matthew was making no signs of recovery.

Then a miracle occurred, Matthew woke up, and whilst things looked bleak for a time he gradually returned to his happy self.

On the 4 October 2006 (MY BIRTHDAY) it was decided by the plastics surgeons, that they should have a look at his frostbite type symptoms. Unfortunately, things had gone too far and Matthew’s leg was amputated.

WHAT A BIRTHDAY PRESENT.

Matthew also lost his fingers on his left hand and his toes.

We have now been discharged from eye clinic – Matthew can see; and the best news we have had is that Matthew has been discharged from the brain clinic as according to them his brain has self-corrected, a true miracle.

The doctors at all hospital do their jobs and get very little deserved credit and thanks, but they are truly amazing and deserve far more credit and reward.

To everyone’s amazement Matthew started mainstream school in September 2007 and is like any normal little boy, happy and carefree. He now, with the use of an artificial limb and walker manoeuvres around school. Matthew’s bravery and dedication is phenomenal and even though life hasn’t dealt him the best hand to date, he just gets on with things, even when children without his disabilities refuse or fail, Matthew has the will power to continue. Characteristic traits that we should all try and adopt and ones I have adopted through my running.

In September of this year, he is to start junior school, not bad for someone who had no brain activity in 2006.

I Apologise for going on a bit, but as you can see Matthew has gone through an awful lot.

In November 2006, I had to make one of the toughest decisions, I have ever had to make. Look after my ill son or continue with my career and lifestyle. The harder I seemed to work the more I seem to enjoy the social side of my career. When I finished work in December 2006 to look after my son, I weighed in at a staggering 23.5 stones.

The times where very tough back then and writing this has upset me to remember some of the dark times we encountered, but it was almost like I needed exercise to give me mental strength to cope with these very sad times. In January 2007 I started running, slowly at first, taking each day at a time and slowly increasing my mileage.

September 2007, saw me take part in my first half marathon, I had got the running bug. The more I ran the clearer things were and the easier I could deal with things.  The fact that I had lost in excess of six stone also helped with the motivation. When I did feel like quitting, I would ask myself what would Matthew do? Answer, he wouldn’t quit.

People say to me, your life experiences must have made you a better person?

How on earth can watching children die make me a better person? The answer is it cannot and has not!

The unfortunate environments we have been in with Matthew have seen us with Children who are very ill or even worse terminally ill. Only last month we were given some negative news over Matthew’s health and I was really down.

A father to a little girl aged 11 in the next bed could see I was down and gave me some support. On asking how his daughter was bearing up, he told me that she had had major heart surgery only yesterday. I was amazed to see how well she looked and I told the father this. He then hit me with the bombshell, that whilst her heart had been fixed she had terminal cancer. What a blow!! The little girl was so happy just like any other 11 year old, which makes it even harder to swallow.

I cannot even start to tell you what we as a family have been through and I hope and pray that no one else has to endure the pain that we have suffered, but when you hear stories like that you realise you are not on your own and that there is always someone in a worse situation.

I now feel so proud when I take part in a running event and it makes it even more special when I see my family cheering me on.

Running has become part of mine and my families life and long may it continue.

Thank you running for saving my life xxx