In April, I will be running the London Marathon for Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity that is incredibly close to my heart.

In February 2023, I was taken to hospital after a seizure that left me unable to speak. I was diagnosed with a brain tumour, which was later confirmed to be cancerous. That summer, I underwent an awake craniotomy, after which I was unable to read and experienced significant processing and speech difficulties. This was followed by six weeks of intensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and then a further year of chemotherapy.

Luckily, I responded well to this treatment and over the following 18 months, my language centre has recovered to almost the same strength as before.

Despite many challenges during this period, I would have struggled much more without the support of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The charity funds specialist nurses who provide medical advice, as well as Youth Support Coordinators whose role is to support young people beyond the medical side of cancer, helping with mental wellbeing, education, employment, and the emotional impact of treatment. Being at university, this support and guidance were vital to me, helping me finish my degree while receiving treatment and advising me on how to talk to my friends and family about my situation.

While I was fortunate to have the incredible support of my family and friends, for many young people, this isn't always the case. For them, Teenage Cancer Trust may be the only support available, ensuring that no young person has to face cancer alone.

Having completed my treatment, I want to turn my experience into something positive by raising as much money as possible to help provide the support I was fortunate to receive.

Thank you so much for any donation, no matter the size — every contribution genuinely helps make a difference, and both I and the rest of the charity massively appreciate it.