So despite having had a whole host of injuries to various bits of my legs over the past 10 weeks I will be on the start line for the London Marathon this Sunday. To name but a few I have had:

-        Tendonitis in both my tibial tendons

-        Tendonitis in my left peroneal tendon

-        Torn calf muscle

-        Suspected chronic compartment syndrome (google it, its not nice!)

-        Injured quads

Im not sure whether I will make the finish line because my fitness isn’t what it should be after taking time out from training to recover and I’ve no hope of beating my 4 hr 31 mins from the marathon I did in October but I will swallow my pride and am going to try to ‘have’ a good time as opposed to ‘getting’ a good time. It has also reminded me of the very reason why I even considered running this crazy distance anyway….for a very close friend of mine who, in my mind, has gone through the worst thing imaginable in this world – the loss of a child. 

My friend's son Zach sadly passed away on  17th January 2012 at 3 weeks of age from a very rare condition called CHAOS. All funds will be donated to the Neonatal Unit in Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where Zach was born. Please sponsor if you can…any amount no matter how small will all be going to an extremely worthy cause and will help those little babies to get the start in life they deserve.

Zach’s story

Zach Worsnip was born on 27 December 2011 to close friend of mine Rachel and her husband Carl. 20 weeks into the pregnancy Zach was diagnosed with an incredibly rare condition called CHAOS (congenital higher airway obstruction syndrome) which blocked Zach’s airways and caused excessive swelling in his tummy and around other organs. Zach's parents and Consultants in Liverpool Women’s Hospital did absolutely everything they could do to support Zach including arranging for Rachel and Carl to go to Belgium to see a Professor who had seen this condition before. The Professor advised them to make a second trip to see him at 28 weeks so he could assess them however, before they could make this trip Rachel’s waters broke and the hospital undertook a specialist procedure, one which they had never done before, to deliver Zach safely. 

Zach was only given a 10% chance that night, odds he defied! For the next 3 weeks Zach was looked after by the staff in the hospital and by his Mum and Dad who stayed by his side day in, day out. Sadly, the strain on his heart was too much and he passed away on 17 January 2012. His parents were there with him to say goodbye.

I am therefore raising money in Zach’s memory and for the wonderful staff in Liverpool Women’s Hospital whose support meant that Rachel and Carl could spend 3 weeks with their gorgeous son, something which seemed like a miracle after they were told at 20 weeks he probably wouldn’t survive the pregnancy. The funds will support parents in a similar situation to receive the excellent care delivered by the Hospital.

Thank you

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