Our son Ross is 12 years old and has a rare genetic mutation called KCNQ2, which causes epileptic encephalopathy, resulting in him being severely mentally and physically disabled. Ross cannot talk, and needs constant care, but despite his challenges, Ross is happy, loves the outdoors and has a great smile. If you want you can see more about the adventures of Ross on his Twitter feed @RossTheSmiler

We lived in Bookham in Surrey until Ross was 9 years old when we moved to Bridge of Allan, near Stirling in Scotland. Since moving we have been supported as a family with respite by Action for Children at their Tayavalla respite home. We have found these occasional respite breaks invaluable, both for us and Ross, especially through lockdowns.

As well as supporting us, they have provided practical and emotional care and support for 368,648 children and their families across UK last year.

Inspired by Ross, I am running 1392 km (865 miles), the distance from Bridge of Allan to Bookham and back, during 2021. 

Whilst I have made a decent start, running 117km in January (which places me close to the brilliantly named Ecclefechan), this has not and will not be easy for me. I’m no spring chicken any more and my inner fat-man has been bulging to burst out for many years. I’ll update this page each month with my progress.

If you can, I hope you can donate a few quid and help Ross and I raise some much-needed funds for this great charity.

Thank you!

Karl & Ross

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.