I've recently got back into running following a 10 year hiatus due to the birth of two kids (erm ages ago) and general laziness! 

I have chosen to dedicate my road to fitness, to the brave, wonderful Finn: son of my dear friends Sarah and Drew and brother to big sister Elsie. 

Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are the two main forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, affecting more than 300,000 people in the UK.

A bit about Finn

Finn's a typical 6 year old boy, with a real zest for life and a fun-loving spirit. He has a super-cheeky smile that belies the days and weeks he's spent in hospital as a result of a cruel and debilitating illness called Very Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease (VEOIBD), which causes terrible pain and side effects. VEOIBD is only diagnosed in children aged 0-6 years. It didn’t used to exist - and these illnesses tend to present more severely than in older children and adults. It is hard to differentiate between Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis at this young age. Finn's diagnosis may change when he’s older but at the moment it’s a vague "Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) unclassified".

Diagnosed at a young age

The road to diagnosis was rocky, with poor Finn initially deemed to be "a bit colicky" and "lactose intolerant" - many sleepless nights and poorly days preceded diagnosis at the age of 4, by which time Finn - and the whole family - was suffering immensely. Finn's condition is now managed with a vast list of drugs and regular visits to specialists - but flare-ups can often happen and he's susceptible to infection and illness. Life will never be "normal" for Finn or his family, as recent (and very scary) emergency trips to A&E attest to - unless a cure can be found.

If you'd like to read more about Finn, his Mum, Sarah has written a touching and frank article, which you can read here: https://www.cicra.org/stories/finn/ . In fact, please do, it proves that superheroes live among us.

Crohn's & Colitis

Crohn's & Colitis works to raise the profile of these diseases, which affect more than 300,00 children and adults in the UK alone. They provide invaluable support and information to sufferers and their families, fund research to hopefully one day find cures and work with healthcare sectors to improve treatment, understanding and care of patients.

So please, don't donate for me, give for Finn and other people, particularly kids that are affected by Crohn's and Colitis.

DONATE

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 very much!

Jennie x

P.S. Mega thanks to Marta for giving me the fitness and self-belief to get running again and also to Penny Haslam who has unknowlingly boosted my confidence.