Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Those of you who know me will know I come from a family of runners. My mam, brother, sister, boyfriend, brother in law, cousins, aunties and uncles have all run the Great North Run before me, so I figured it was about time I had a go! 

I have decided to run the Great North Run this September for the British Thyroid Foundation. Any donations, no matter how big or small, are hugely appreciated by myself and the charity. 

One in twenty people in the UK are effected by Thyroid disorders, and my friend Katie is one of them. 

In January 2016, Katie and I went on a night out in Oxford. Whilst in a bar, Katie turned to me and said she wasn't feeling well and could we go home. We stood outside trying to call a taxi, and Katie's face turned white and she dropped to the floor. Me and the security managed to bring her round and luckily there was a St John's Ambulance tent at the end of the road. I sat outside worrying while they examined Katie, but their tests were inconclusive. A few weeks later, Katie had a similar experience on a train. 

After many doctors appointments and tests, it was discovered that Katie had an under active thyroid. In August, Katie had an operation to remove half of her thyroid, hoping this would solve the problems. However, after a biopsy, some cancer cells were found in the removed half of the thyroid. Katie then had another operation to remove her thyroid entirely. This was followed by a session of radiotherapy to ensure the cancer was gone. 

Since then, and for the rest of her life, Katie will be on prescription medication and the removal of her thyroid has had side effects such as memory loss, extreme fatigue and heart palpitations. 

The British Thyroid Foundation work with thyroid specialists from the British Thyroid Association (BTA) and the British Association of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgeons (BAETS), to ensure they provide the public with up-to-date and reliable information. The BTA is a non-profit-making learned society of professional clinical specialist doctors and scientists who look after patients, like Katie, with thyroid disorders and who carry out research into the thyroid.

They provide funds each year for research into thyroid disorders and for a nurse award; and they pass on information from the patient to doctors and nurses so they know what concerns people with thyroid disorders. 

Please help support me through 13.1 gruelling miles of running in aid of this brilliant charity! 

Thank you for your kindness, see you at the finish line!