Welcome to Team Halle's fundraising page !! 

Most of you reading this probably know that i ran the London Marathon in April and raised lots of money for a charity very close to my heart. 

Just days after i had a beautiful card posted with some amazing words from a lovely friend and then a text message ...... Watching you run towards me at the 22 mile mark of the London Marathon Jade, I witnessed a determined, inspirational mother fight to complete her goal of raising money for your beautiful daughter.

Its Days after and the experience hasn't left me and instead I've been inspired and grown an urge to want to help Halle.

So what can I do ?

This message was from my beautiful friend Kelly. I was totally overwhelmed and began to think about all that Halle had been through.

This lead to us signing up TEAM HALLE to run the GOSH 5k family Run on 7th June at Battersea Park. 

Myself and Kelly along with her son Alfie Grantham

her brother Paul Grantham , her partner Martin Green.
Danny Bagalo, my children Jaydan, Lainey and Jensen Bagalo  with my daughter Halle.
My niece Layla Bagola, her mum Janey, and her brother and sister Jude and Maisie will all be running as a team to help Halle complete the 5k run.

It doesn't sound that far but for the children it will be such an achievement, especially for Halle who suffers with Juvenile idiopathic Arthritis. 

We have decided we will carry her if that's what it takes for her to finish the race. 

So we would be so grateful for any donations to help these inspirational kiddies raise as much money for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Please don't mistake this like many do, in thinking Arthritis just like adults experience.

Arthritis in children causes pain, inflammation,stiffness of the joints and deformity, and in some cases disability and loss of sight. 

It's an autoimmune disease which has to be treated aggressively with strong drugs to prevent this.

Halle was a beautiful, happy, energetic two year old. That all changed just before her third birthday. 

She woke one morning and couldn't weight bare on her right leg. 

Halle began very poorly and no local hospital could find out what was wrong with her. Her body was slowly shutting down in front of us. 

There was months of worry, tests to rule out all sorts of terrifying diseases including cancer. 

By the time she was finally referred to GREAT ORMOND STREET HOSPITAL Halle couldn't even sit up or hold her head, she was floppy and lifeless. We were minutes to losing our beautiful daughter. 

So it was a huge relief when we finally got a diagnoses of Juvenile idiopathic Arthritis from GOSH. What came with that turned our lives upside down.

I had no idea children could get Arthritis, I had no idea that all this pain Halle was experiencing was caused by her own blood. Her immune system was attacking its own body. 

There is no cure for JIA but there are treatments and medications available to help control this horrid disease. 

Halle is treated with daily physiotherapy, on average 56 tablets a week which include a mixture of painkillers, stomach protector and Folic acid. She is injected weekly with a chemotherapy drug and disease modifying drug. She is also taking steroids all of which weaken her immune system and have awful side effects including an increase chance that one day she may get cancer. Halle has had numerous blood tests, scans, X-rays, MRI's and steroid injections along with 13 General Anaesthetics. Eye checks ( JIA can cause uveitis which left untreated causes blindness ) These all help monitor the disease.

Why would I let my daughter risk this ? The answer is simple, without these drugs she would eventually end up crippled. Halle already has damage in her ankle and jaw joints which in the future will need replacing. Great Ormond Street hospital have supported and cared for Halle for over 5 years now. 

One of the hardest things about JIA is that its not a well known disease ! smaller hospitals aren't even aware it exists.  It's an invisible illness and many don't realise or even sometimes believe I have such a sick child. Halle is good at putting on a brave and happy face. 

JIA kiddies are the bravest I know and the daily pain they experience is like they have run a marathon. 

So if all these beautiful children can battle on day after day, pushing themselves through the pain barriers, then what's 5k !! 

So the kiddies along with Kelly and I are training as much as we can and I won't lie it's a struggle, but as soon as we feel it get tough we think of Halle and all the other GOSH children that are suffering. 

We are determined to raise as much money and awareness as we can. 

GOSH is an amazing charity run Hospital which help not only the Children but the whole family. 

They saved Halle's life and I can't bare to think what we would have done without them. Halle might not be here today. 

So were asking all our family, friends and strangers to open up their hearts and help the children just like Halle. Even if everyone I knew donated just £1 it would help immensely. 

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all those that have donated or are about too, it means so much to us to be able to give something back to GOSH the worlds best Children's Hospital, that continues to save lives everyday.