This cause is deeply personal to me and my family. At different points in their lives, my brother, sister, and daughter were each diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

Thanks to Diabetes UK’s research, people with diabetes can live more normal, flexible lives with fewer restrictions than ever before.

On April 27th, 2025, I’ll be running the London Marathon to raise money for this incredible charity, and I need your help. Your donations will go directly toward funding life-changing research and supporting people who live with diabetes every day.

Please consider donating to this vital cause. If you’d like to learn more about why this charity means so much to me, the full story is below.

In February 2006, my younger brother, just 15 years old at the time, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I remember the day so clearly, waiting at home with my younger sister, who was only 9, uncertain of what was happening. He had been suffering from a bad cold, and in the following weeks, my mum noticed he was losing weight and wasn't quite himself. She immediately took him to the doctor and after running some tests, they sent them to the hospital right away. That moment changed his life forever.

After the diagnosis, my brother and my mum were faced with a steep learning curve. Every appointment with the specialists brought more information to absorb. My brother told me how, in those early days, my mum would often break down in tears at these appointments, overwhelmed by it all. While my brother also felt the weight of the situation, he said he tried to stay strong for her. “Although I was the one doing all the injections, it wasn’t just my life that had shifted,” he explained.

For a long time, diabetes was something I saw from the sidelines. My brother and my mum became experts in managing his care, but I wasn’t as aware until 2017. That year, my five-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I still remember the fear in my wife’s eyes and the overwhelming sense of helplessness we both felt. Although the hospital staff and the incredible research from Diabetes UK guided us, leaving the hospital with insulin kits, monitors, and the knowledge that our lives had been permanently altered was one of the hardest moments of our lives.

I was reminded of the large insulin needles my brother used back in 2006, and I feared my little girl would face the same painful challenges. But I was amazed at how much progress had been made in just a decade. New technology, like insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), had become more accessible, replacing the need for multiple injections each day.

We received tremendous support from our healthcare team, but my daughter’s diagnosis changed our lives forever. She has been incredibly brave throughout it all. Despite the difficult days, she has taken everything in her stride and shown a level of resilience that is rare to find. I am so proud of her.

My wife devotes a large part of her day to making sure our daughter stays on track and maintains as normal a routine as possible. It’s been over seven years now, and not a day goes by without my wife thinking about my daughters blood sugar levels, responding to alerts, adjusting her monitor, managing cannula changes (small tubes that deliver insulin), or simply worrying about her general well-being. The reality of Type 1 diabetes is a 24/7 commitment, and it has made me truly appreciate the emotional weight my mum carried for so many years after my brother’s diagnosis. Diabetes doesn’t just affect those living with the condition—it profoundly impacts their families and loved ones too.

Then, in December 2023, we were dealt another blow. My 27-year-old sister, the same 9-year-old I had looked after while waiting for news of my brother in 2006, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Like many, we had believed Type 1 was a condition that only developed in childhood, but we were wrong. Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, and her diagnosis was a stark reminder that no one is immune. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the body attacks the cells that produce insulin. There is currently no cure for Type 1 diabetes, and there’s no known cause for it—nothing you do leads to getting Type 1 diabetes. It can happen to anyone, at any stage of life. Without insulin, people with Type 1 cannot survive.

My sister’s diagnosis has been incredibly challenging for her. She recently shared, “Finding out you have type 1 diabetes at any stage of your life is hard, and each stage comes with its unique struggles. I remember my big brother getting diagnosed as a teenager and feeling sad that he suddenly had to shoulder so many responsibilities while we were still growing up. I recall my niece’s diagnosis when she was just a little girl, and I felt so helpless knowing she had to navigate all of this without fully understanding what was happening. For me, getting diagnosed as a young adult presented a completely different kind of struggle.”

Type 1 diabetes has significantly impacted her mental health. Even though she’s grateful for the advancements in care, the reality of how much her life has changed is overwhelming. “I was so accustomed to my old life, and suddenly I had to accept that I would have to manage this condition for the rest of my life. It brought so many changes, and there was no time to process my new reality; right after my diagnosis, it became something I had to constantly manage. It’s exhausting.”

This highlights the psychological toll Type 1 diabetes can take, and how crucial ongoing support and research are for improving the lives of those diagnosed, no matter their age.

As you can see, Diabetes UK is a cause that is deeply personal to me and my family. Diabetes isn’t just a condition—it’s a daily struggle, an invisible weight that affects millions. More than 4.4 million people in the UK are living with diabetes, and an estimated 400,000 of those have Type 1 diabetes, including about 29,000 children. Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition that demands constant management.

But thanks to Diabetes UK, there is hope. Diabetes UK is the leading charity for people affected by diabetes in the UK, funding millions in research each year to improve lives and one day find a cure. Their work has been instrumental in developing life-changing technologies like insulin pumps and CGMs, which give people with diabetes greater control and freedom in their daily lives.

In addition to their groundbreaking research, Diabetes UK offers vital support to those newly diagnosed, helping families navigate the emotional and practical challenges they face. They advocate for better treatments and work tirelessly to raise awareness, aiming for a future where no one has to live in fear of complications from diabetes.

On April 27th, 2025, I will be running the full 26.2-mile London Marathon to raise funds for Diabetes UK. I’ve never attempted running anything close to this distance before, so it’s not only a personal challenge but also an opportunity to raise funds for an important cause. I am running the London Marathon not just for my daughter, my brother, and my sister, but for everyone affected by this condition. I’m running for the parents, carers, and loved ones who work tirelessly behind the scenes, and for the amazing people at Diabetes UK who are working toward a future without diabetes. Crossing that finish line will be one of the proudest moments of my life.

But I can’t do it alone. I need your help to make a difference. Your donations will go directly to Diabetes UK, funding vital research that could one day lead to a cure, and supporting the services that provide hope to families like mine. Every pound you give brings us one step closer to a world where no one has to live with the constant challenge of managing diabetes.

Please donate whatever you can. Together, we can make a difference. Thank you for your generosity and support. I’ll be running my very best in honour of all those affected by this life-changing condition.