Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I've been running on and off since I was in my twenties. I wasn't a serious runner by any stretch and only did it really as a way to keep fit.  In 2016, a good friend of mine persuaded me to sign up for the Manchester marathon. I took the plunge and signed up without any real idea of the task ahead. It was also a bit risky as baby no.2 was due the same weekend!!! Thankfully, she was considerate enough to wait until the following day to be born....  

Since then I've been hooked and have done a few halves as well as a couple of full marathons. However, this is the first time I've committed to raising money for a charity. 

Last year some friends of ours had their second child. Initially it appeared that all was well and that a healthy little boy had arrived. It was only after a few days of being at home did they soon realise there was something not quite right with his health. At 3 days old he stopped breathing and was rushed to hospital. It was a frightening time for them as doctors confirmed that one of his heart valves wasn't functioning as it should. Due to the nature of his condition he was admitted to the Alderhey Specialist Children's Hospital in Liverpool. He was in and out of Alderhey for the next 3 months. As you'd expect this was a very difficult time for his parents, but thankfully whilst he was undergoing treatment, they were fortunate enough to move into an apartment provided by the Ronald McDonald House Charity on the hospital campus. This really helped them out as they live just outside Manchester. It meant they could always be at hand without the additional worry of logistics or mounting financial costs for temporary accommodation. As a parent it struck a chord how important it was to be able close to their sick boy. Seeing the positive impact the facilities and staff had on our friends, and indeed the other families, made it an easy choice for me to raise money and awareness for such a worthy cause.