When I started this half-marathon journey, my mum, Rebecca, was in the midst of a battle with late stage esophageal cancer and I'm devastated to say that on May 19th 2024, she lost this battle. Whilst it has been hard to continue at times, this half-marathon will now be in her memory, raising money for a trust who undoubtedly contributed to her living a fulfilling life despite her diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis.

When my mum was born in 1969, the prognosis was bleak, with Cystic Fibrosis having only been discovered in 1938. Just three decades ago, the average person with CF would only live to 30 but today patients are living into their 50s, 60s and some their 70s, the life expectancy is continuing to grow thanks to research and advancements in treatment and therapies.

Cystic Fibrosis is a recessive genetic disorder affecting 10,900 people in the UK. 1/25 of us are carriers. It affects the way that water and salt are moved through the cells of the body. This largely impacts the lungs but also impacts other organs in the body. Everybody experiences Cystic Fibrosis differently, but it has a huge impact on every aspect of a sufferers life. 

With years of research surrounding the disease, life changing medical advancements have been made. One of the most recent and widely discussed is the drug that has been described as a miracle by many - Kaftrio. This is something that mum has been lucky enough to have been prescribed, and this drug will completely change the life of many children who are born with Cystic Fibrosis today.

These medical advancements would not be possible without funding to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. The Trust are supporting and enabling the delivery of a broad and dynamic portfolio of world-class research to help ensure every person with CF in the UK can live a long and full life - from supporting biomedical research in the lab, through to large scale clinical trials. This would not be possible without the generosity of the public!

I’m not just running this half marathon for my mum, but for every person with CF, as I have seen first hand how the support and research of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust can change a sufferers life for the better. Please consider donating to help those born with Cystic Fibrosis live a life unlimited 💛💛💛