On the 24th November 2014 my daughter Bella was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. It turned our worlds upside down, she was so poorly and immediately admitted into Great Ormond Street Hospital. She nearly lost her life many times and the chemotherapy destroyed her body. Then Bella relapsed 15 months later and we were told her chances of survival were 10-20% and she wouldn't have this chance at all unless she had a bone marrow transplant.

The transplant involved total body irradiation treatment, then powerful levels of chemotherapy for 3 months whilst living in isolation for this entire period within GOSH.

This treatment absolutely destroyed her body, she needed a feeding tube inserted into her stomach as she was taken off all food and drink, she had a main IV line inserted into her heart with two lines coming out, one to give her the chemo and one to keep her alive with pain medication and blood transfusions.

She lost all of her hair (again) and I totally lost all hope and will to live. I had to see my daughter go through the worst possible treatment ever, all at 4 years old. Her father and I split up due to the stress , it was all too much. 

The transplant went well but then Bella developed a disease as her body was so badly effected from the treatment. It was then when her nurses told me that she was extremely ill and they didn't know whether she'd survive.

So she had overcome the cancer at this point, but because of the treatment she had developed this disease that was probably going to kill her. She didn't speak to me for 3 months, she couldn't walk, couldn't move, and at 4 years old couldn't even look in the mirror at herself as she couldn't stand the sight that looked back at her. My little girl was depressed and dying.

It was then I ran my second London marathon for Children with Cancer UK charity. It helped me focus and get through the days. I ran for all the children suffering like Bella and all of their families. Bella eventually got through all of this, she's a fighter!

At Children with Cancer UK we actively raise and invest money for vital specialist research to save the lives of every child with cancer and keep their family together. Our vision is a world where every child diagnosed with cancer gets to ring their end of cancer treatment bell.

Most cancer research is into adult cancers, only a small amount is for childhood cancers. No family should suffer like we did, no child should suffer the way Bella did. Let's all play a part and reduce childhood cancers and keep families together.