Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

On the 1 November 2022 our family’s life changed forever when our beautiful, caring, and talented daughter, Jessica, made a choice to end her life. She was 27. On that day the world lost a young person with so much to give in terms of her time, support and love to everyone one lucky enough to know her. As a family we lost a very much-loved daughter, sister, aunty, niece, cousin, and the best of friends to many.

Jessica had struggled with her mental health for many years but in  recent times seemed to be in a really settled period, unfortunately that turned out to not be the case and she left us. We will always respect her decision and try to find positive routes through these tragic circumstances.

Jessica loved the outdoors and was a regular runner.  I ran Parkrun with Jessica on the Saturday before she died – the last time I saw her. On the 6 May 2023, along with my good friend John Craig, I am taking part in the Pennine Barrier Ultra 50 Mile Challenge. This 50-mile ultra-marathon has 2593 metres of ascent and is run on some of the finest trails in the UK and include the Yorkshire 3 peaks of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. Following six months of training runs, John and I are hoping to complete this within the 18-hour time limit.

For years mental health support has been undervalued and underfunded in the UK. No young person should struggle to access support because they are deemed to be ‘not unwell enough’.

We have chosen to raise money for YoungMinds in memory of Jessica. YoungMinds is the UKs leading mental health charity for young people. They aim to create a world where no young person feels alone with their mental health and can access the support they need, when they need it.

Ged Rae

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