Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

After the sudden loss of my younger sister Tegan Louise Critchley in 2002 when she was just 19 months old, my family were massively helped and supported by Derian House at an immensely difficult time, and in so many ways that couldn’t have been achieved anywhere else. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to them and have been supporters of them and their work ever since.

Sadly we weren’t aware of their fantastic work whilst Tegan was alive, providing respite and end-of-life care for children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions, supporting more than 400 of them and their families across the North West. This care is only 12% funded by the Government, with the rest coming from donations.

Having previously taken on half marathons, I decided to test my running abilities this year by entering my first full marathon in my home city of Manchester on 16th April 2023. Little did I know when I entered Manchester that just two months later I would be incredibly lucky to win a ballot place in the New York City Marathon on 5th November 2023. So now I am rising to the challenge of completing two marathons within this year!

Both of these events will be once in a lifetime experiences for me, and I will be carrying my sister Tegan with me every step of the way. Therefore I would like to take the opportunity to fundraise for Derian House as a small thank you for the way in which they supported me and my family through our darkest times.

I will be eternally grateful for any amount you can give in support of my marathons. Whether your donation is large or small, every single penny will go towards helping Derian’s dedicated team to look after young people whose lives are often far too short, helping them to make the most of the time that they and their families have together in an environment of fun, respect and above all, high quality care.

Thank you!