I'm not a runner, and the London Marathon is a huge battle for me, but worth it for a cause like this...Here’s a little bit about our story and why I'm running the London Marathon for Anthony Nolan, a charity so close to our hearts.

In February last year, our lives were totally turned upside down when my Dad arrived at my home unexpectedly, I could see by the tears in his eyes that something was wrong. I didn’t know what he was going to say. He told me that my mum (Shelley) had just been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (“AML”). AML is a blood cancer of the bone marrow’s myeloid cells. Acute leukaemias are so called because they develop rapidly and are aggressive types of leukemia. Everyday 104 people are diagnosed with blood cancer. It came out of nowhere and we were scared and didn’t know how tough the road ahead would be.

Because AML progresses rapidly, virtually all patients with AML start treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis. On the day of diagnosis Mum was told she would be admitted to Kings College hospital 2 days later for immediate chemotherapy which would last 6 weeks, during which no one would be able to visit due to COVID-19 protocols and therefore being in hospital with no physical support or to have any of her family by her side. Not only was this so hard for my mum, but not being able to be there to support her was extremely hard for our family.

We were told that if the chemotherapy was successful (which we are so lucky to say it was) Mum would need a bone marrow transplant as soon as possible. A blood stem cell (or bone marrow) transplant can replace a damaged immune system in a person with blood cancer – but only if the donor’s tissue type matches. For many people with blood cancer, a transplant is their last chance of life. – It was at this point the incredible team at Kings College haematology department put us in touch with Anthony Nolan. I can’t begin to share how grateful I am for this charity and the amazing work they do, and have to thank them for making my mum better and giving her the ability to return to herself again (after a long and tough road) of treatment and hospital stays.

Anthony Nolan uses its register to match potential stem cell donors to blood cancer patients in desperate need of a stem cell transplant. They work with hospitals and donor registries around the world to find matching donors for patients, wherever they are. Thankfully, we were told that a match was found; A young lady in the United States, and that the donors cells would be flown in for a bone marrow transplant as soon as possible. Mum received her bone marrow transplant on May 14th 2021 and there really are no words to thank the Anthony Nolan charity for giving my mum what she needed most. She would not be alive today without it.  

I find it difficult to put into words the emotions that myself and my family felt at the time of the diagnosis and during the year that has passed since. It has been a challenging time for us all, and this gave me even more determination to not only run the marathon, but to run for a charity that means so much to me and my family. Anyone who knows me would agree that I am a typical mummy’s boy, and those weeks that Mum was in hospital were extremely tough, restricted to phone calls and FaceTime where she would put on a brave face, but we could see she was in a fight for her life.

Mum is the heart of our family and without doubt the strongest person I know, especially after seeing what she’s been through in the past year, she’s a warrior. She never let the intense treatment dampen her spirit or alter her bubbly character, she continues each day to better herself and is do amazingly well. I am immensely proud to be her son and she is my inspiration for running the marathon. I am running the London Marathon for her and all those who have been or continue to be affected by blood cancer.

Any donations would be hugely appreciated! 

Thank you, 

Josh