10 Marathons for the 10 Years We’ve Lived Without You

31st May 2026 will mark 10 years since our Mum, Stephanie, passed away after a long battle with cancer.

I was 14 at the time. My older brother was 16, and my younger brother was just 10.

I still remember the day after Mum gained her wings — I went into London and went shopping with friends. I carried on like everything was normal. Looking back, I can see that I wasn’t processing anything at all. I’d gone into complete shutdown.

As soon as I returned to school, I was offered therapy. I thought, “Yeah, why not?” But during my first session, I spoke — and the therapist cried. So I shut down even more.

If a therapist couldn’t cope with how sad my life had become, how could I?

It was a few years before I tried again. This time, my school listened when I explained why I was hesitant to go back. That’s when they arranged for an external specialist in childhood bereavement to come in — and that’s how I met Gill, from Daisy’s Dream.

Gill helped me finally start to process what had happened. She helped me find words for thoughts and feelings I’d buried for years, and pulled me out of that shutdown mode — just in time for my GCSEs.

Since 2022, Daisy’s Dream has supported over 12,500 children and young people facing or living through the death of someone they love. Their work quite literally shaped me into the person I am today — and that’s a person I’m proud to be.

So, from 1st June 2025 to 31st May 2026, I’ll be running 10 marathons in honour of my beautiful Mum — one for each year we’ve lived without her — and to raise vital funds for Daisy’s Dream.

I'll be sharing my story, talking about my grief, and doing what I can to make sure no young person ever feels alone as I did.

Follow the journey & for more information on Instagram: @10for10years