On the 16th August last year, arrived Toby Hambrook-Skinner - the gorgeous baby boy of our dearest friends Verity and Nathan.  Toby’s birth brought so much happiness to his parents and friends, my 3 week old daughter was also especially pleased to have a play mate and friend for life living just around the corner.

At just 7 weeks old Toby was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and admitted to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Toby was exceptionally smiley, playful and bright but at the same time he was so brave, resilient and blummin’ tough in the face of an unrelenting treatmentplan. Toby’s treatments included brutal bouts of Chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. Whilst Toby’s treatment often gave hope it was the damage caused by this treatment to his immune system that ended Toby’s fight when he could not battle any longer when an infection took hold of his lungs.

Toby’s died on the 16^th March 2017, he was 7 months old.

Great Ormond Street Hospital is a truly remarkable place and gave Toby world class treatment whilst showing compassion and love for Toby and his immediate family.

I am running the marathon for Toby Hambrook-Skinner Brighter Future Fund at Great Ormond Street which has been set up by his parents to help find cures and less aggressive treatments for these rare forms of cancers. Toby went through unimaginable pain and distress for someone so young and so wonderful, please donate so that we can develop a kinder and more effective treatment for this rare cancer so other children do not have to suffer like our dear Toby.