In just under 3 weeks, on Sunday 2nd October 2022, I will be taking on the London Marathon and running the 26.2 miles around our capital. In doing this I hope to raise some money for a charity that gave timely and much needed support to Jules and Dan, friends of mine, at a time when they needed it most. Jules has kindly allowed me to use her words, which express their experience far better than I ever could:

'August 19^th, was Billy's due date. Instead, he was born on 12 April at 03.48. He was 21 weeks and 4 days old. We were told at our 20 week scan he had Osteogenesis Imperfecta; a random, desperately unlucky genetic mutation meant his bones had not formed properly and his legs had already broken and reset in my cosy womb. The condition is painful, hugely debilitating and progressively deforming. We were faced with the worst decision of our lives; bring our baby in to the world to face a short life full of pain, broken bones, surgeries and frustration, or take that pain ourselves and have a compassionate induction, or TFMR (termination for medical reasons). Every instinct screamed that we had to protect him, and in the end I realised that the only way to do that was to say goodbye to him. He has changed us, and I hope for the better. We will always love our little Billy butterfly, and be so glad we got to hold you for those few, short hours, and love you forever.'

Jules and her family were supported by a small charity called the Antenatal Results & Choices (ARC). They are the only charity in the UK offering support to families through decisions like the one faced by Jules and Dan. They also offer training and education for healthcare professionals. It would be fantastic if my little jog around the capital could also raise some money for this very deserving cause, helping them to continue supporting other families who are also facing difficult and devastating decisions.

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.