Our friends (Lucy and Dave) thought their first child (Jett) was a perfectly healthy boy until a routine doctors visit when Jett was 18 months old diagnosed him with Becker Muscular Dystrophy (a genetic, degenerative disease primarily affecting voluntary muscles, such as arms, legs , heart and respiratory).

Jett is now 5 years old and one of the funniest boys we know. However, life for Jett is much tougher than it should be for any child.

Jett finally began walking when we was 2 and can now run a little (however, this is only expected to be temporary). He suffers pain and stiffness, with periods of excessive discomfort causing him to scream out and cry. He has jumped twice in his life.

Jett's condition is expected to deteriorate as he grows. It is expected to further severely limit his mobility and potentially the length of his life.

We want to help Jett as much as possible and Ami and I have agreed to run the York Marathon on Sunday 8 October 2017 as a precursor to running the London Marathon on Sunday 22 April 2018.

I have previously run half marathons (13 miles), but the thought of doubling this to 26 miles for a full marathon is extremely daunting and will be a challenge! Ami has run the London marathon 3 times, but not since having children!    

Our fundraising will go towards:

- National Research and Support - the majority will go to Muscular Dystrophy UK who lead research into the disease and emerging treatments, alongside providing information and support to the 70,000 people living with muscle-wasting conditions; and  

- The Jett Pack - a portion of fund raising will be saved to pay for the specialist equipment Jett himself will need as he grows and his conditions worsen, including motorised wheelchair and adaptions to the family home.

Thank you for helping us support Jett, John & Ami.  

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.