I will be running my second half marathon 'The Great North Run' in Newcastle on September 11th this year and although initially it wasn't to raise money for a charity the story of a little girl called Hayley has really touched my heart.  Having had the pleasure of meeting and working with Hayley's mum Zoe you never think the stories you hear and read about become real and happen to people you know.

Hayley was a healthy baby, it was her sister Jessica who caused the family great concern when she was diagnosed with stage 4s neuroblastoma as a baby.  Thankfully Jessica is now 5 years post treatment and in remission.

That said, when Hayley was a few months old, her mum and dad, Zoe and Brian, did have her checked over by a peadiatrician because they had some concerns.  Thankfully though, tests revealed that everything looked normal and the family felt blessed to have their healthy and happy family.

It was just before Hayley's 4th birthday when things changed and she started to feel really unwell.  Blood test results and a biopsy on a lump in her neck revealed Hayley had stage 4 high risk neuroblastoma.  As you can imagine this was a massive blow to the family, having not one child but two now affected with this awful disease.

Neuroblastoma is a particulary aggressive form of childhood cancer and the most common cancer outside the brain in children under 5 years old.

Your fundraising will mean that if Hayley's family choose for her to access experimental therapy abroad in the desperate hope of preventing her cancer returning, she can access the treatment and is not prohibited by an overwhelming cost.  If Hayley does not need access to treatment abroad, the funds will be used to support other children affected by neuroblastoma.

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.

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my page, please donate anything you can, even £1, to help Hayley fight this awful disease.