In April 2016 my Dad, John, suffered a fall whilst at home requiring
urgent treatment in the Critical Care Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham having suffered, what was described as, a ‘catastrophic brain injury’. The news that he would never regain consciousness delivered by the consultant will, no doubt, live on long in the memory. At that most difficult of times the organ transplant nurse asked to speak with us to see whether we knew of Dad’s wishes or whether we had any thoughts on whether we would be happy for any viable organs to be donated.

Decisions made and a few hours later the family were called to the hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning to say our final goodbyes
with a team of surgeons from the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford setting up in theatre. Dad’s life support system, turned off and removed, left nature to take its course. Sometime later the family, one member short, were left wondering what had just happened over the past 36 surreal hours or so.

Minutes later whilst sat outside the hospital gathering my thoughts with the bright cloudless sky and the heat of the sun drying the tears I remembered, 100 miles or so away, the 2016 London Marathon had just started.

I’ve always had a strange love-hate relationship with the London Marathon, having run it twice previously, with Dad there to support me
on both occasions, proud as punch at the finishing line, a former runner
himself in his younger years.  I have to apologise to my family, those of you who have been there before with me, I know I promised I would never do it again. I said that after the first time too but those of you who have been there and done it will know what an infectious thing it is. Those of you who think its complete and utter madness are also probably right!

I would really appreciate your support in my attempt to run the London Marathon again on 23^rd April 2017 to raise money for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and in memory of my Dad. He was there before and he’ll be there again every step of the way.

I'll see you in London - we're going back....