This charity was given just one single charity place for the Virgin London Marathon, and I am overwhelmed and honored to say I have been chosen as that single participant to represent this charity.

The Virgin London Marathon, which like many others is the pinnacle of my Running Dreams.

So why does this spot mean so much to me? Well I’ll tell you why… Chloe Jean Lambert was born on 30th August 2009 at only 32 weeks gestation and during her short stay we were informed she had a Strawberry Birthmark on her Right forehead… shortly after she was born we were told by local Dermatologists that there was no treatment options available and it would likely disappear within 10 years. The birthmark continued to rapidly grow and by the time she was 6 months old it showed signs of ulcerating. A return trip to the Dermatologist changed our lives completely. A passing Doctor saw Chloe and interrupted our appointment to tell us of a ‘New’ treatment being trialed at Great Ormond Street Hospital and she would be a prime candidate for referral. Within a matter of weeks we were at Great Ormond Street Hospital and her Propranolol journey began. Fat forward 8 years and Chloe is a healthy, happy young lady who has gone through a Year of Propranolol treatment, 3 cosmetic surgeries and a further surgery unrelated to her birthmark as a result of being diagnosed with Apnoea during one of her surgery recoveries.

Being a first time Mum this was both the hardest and most lonely time of my life or at least it could have been if it wasn’t for the help and support of the Birthmark Support Group. We were soon put into contact with this group whilst Chloe was still young and for the first time we were able to share and compare stories with other parents and children and suddenly the world did not feel so lonely. We have attended a few of the support days 2010, 2012 and 2018. We contributed to the second ‘My Birthmark Friends & Me” book produced and continue to be an active part of the Facebook group. Attending this year’s Fun Day was a special day for us as we found having Chloe at the end of her Birthmark treatment we were able to offer advice and support to those parents just beginning their journey and it was a wonderful experience to see the children comparing their Birthmarks’ and sharing stories with each other.