Anyone who knows me well will be shocked and stunned to hear that I will be running Sheffield Half Marathon in March this year.

Am I a runner? Absolutely not.

Do I enjoy running? Absolutely not.

In fact, on more than one occasion, I have said “I would never run a half marathon , especially Sheffield with all the hills”.

Yet here I am, giving myself 12 weeks to train for my first (and only) half marathon.

Why? I’m sure many of you will be able to relate - you’d do anything for your children. That doesn’t change. There really is nothing I wouldn’t do to honour and remember our lovely Cillian. And, if challenging myself to do this half marathon can help save young lives and support bereaving families, whilst remembering Cillian, it’s been worth it.

Our story:

In August 2025, we suddenly and unexpectedly lost our little boy, Cillian, when he had a cardiac arrest at home. Since then, we’ve learnt from doctors at Sheffield Children’s Hospital that Cillian’s death was a result of an undiagnosed heart problem.

Cillian was a happy, healthy little boy. He loved running around, playing in the sand and visiting parks. He showed no signs of having an unhealthy heart, until it was too late. To be honest, this reality still feels completely shocking and it’s hard to comprehend that such a vital organ can be failing without any obvious signs or symptoms. It just goes to show, how important it is for people to have access to screening. This is something your donations can help with.

We were and will always be heartbroken by this loss, but being able to raise awareness and fundraise for charities, such as CRY, help give us a purpose and a focus whilst we find a way to rebuild our lives, whilst honouring and remembering Cilly.

The Charity:

Every week in the UK at least 12 apparently fit and healthy young people die of undiagnosed cardiac conditions.

With your donation, CRY can reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death (YSCD) by working with cardiologists and family doctors to establish good practice and appropriate screening facilities to promote and protect the cardiac health of our young.

By supporting CRY you will help save young lives from these potentially fatal cardiac conditions.

See how your support can help by visiting www.c-r-y.org.uk