After my last half marathon 13 years ago, I have come out of retirement for the Barcelona half marathon to raise money for team Lukas

Lukas is my 11 year old grandson from Kelso in the Scottish Borders who, up until just before his 4th birthday, was an active and healthy little boy.

In 2017, Lukas become unwell with flu type symptoms. The flu virus attacked his heart resulting in myocarditis. He was transferred from his local hospital to the specialist childrens hospital in Glasgow. Not long after he went into cardiac arrest, requiring 30 minutes of CPR, before being placed on an ECMO (heart and lung bypass) machine, saving his life.

During his two weeks in ICU we received the devastating news that Lukas had suffered a stroke following the cardiac arrest. Four months followed in the neuro rehabilitation ward where he had to relearn how to talk, eat and move.

Lukas has worked so hard since his stroke and can now stand, and walk, a little with assistance. His goal is to be able to run around the garden with his younger sister, something we all take for granted.

In spite of all of this, Lukas is still a happy boy who loves playing Mario kart, swimming and spending time riding his adaptive trike.

Although Lukas receives NHS physio once a fortnight, we feel that private therapy is key to getting Lukas to where he wants to be. He also has private 3 day intensive Anat Baniel Method therapy, every 6 weeks, which helps his brain make new connections and has played a major part in his progress so far.

He has had great benefit from more intensive blocks of therapy which the NAPA Center in Los Angeles offer over 3 weeks, customised for each child based on their needs and goals. The therapy which lasts for 4 hours each day would utilise a NeuroSuit and SpiderCage and can bring a child on the equivalent of 6 months traditional therapy.

Due to his love of swimming Lukas really enjoys the intensive swimming therapy he has been able to access at SwimLab international in Lanzarote.

We would love to be able to continue fundraising to allow Lukas to access these intensive programs. Although really really tough and tiring for Lukas these centres make therapy fun and he always comes away having learned new skills and making new friends

Lukas és el meu nét d'11 anys de Kelso a les fronteres escoceses que, fins poc abans del seu 4t aniversari, era un nen petit actiu i saludable.

El 2017, Lukas es va sentir malament amb símptomes de tipus grip. El virus de la grip va atacar el seu cor i va provocar miocarditis. Va ser traslladat del seu hospital local a l'hospital especialitzat per a nens de Glasgow. Poc després va patir una aturada cardíaca, que va requerir 30 minuts de RCP, abans de ser col·locat en una màquina ECMO (bypass cardíac i pulmonar), salvant-li la vida.

Durant les seves dues setmanes a la UCI vam rebre la devastadora notícia que Lukas havia patit un ictus després de l'aturada cardíaca. Van seguir quatre mesos a la sala de neurorehabilitació on va haver de tornar a aprendre a parlar, menjar i moure's.

Lukas ha treballat molt des del seu cop i ara pot parar i caminar una mica amb ajuda. El seu objectiu és poder córrer pel jardí amb la seva germana petita, cosa que tots donem per fet.

Malgrat tot això, Lukas segueix sent un nen feliç a qui li encanta jugar al Mario kart, nedar i passar el temps muntant el seu tricicle adaptatiu.

Tot i que Lukas rep un fisioterapeuta de l'NHS una vegada cada quinze dies, creiem que la teràpia privada és clau per portar Lukas on vol ser. També té una teràpia intensiva privada de 3 dies del Mètode Anat Baniel, cada 6 setmanes, que ajuda el seu cervell a establir noves connexions i ha jugat un paper important en el seu progrés fins ara.

Ha obtingut un gran benefici dels blocs de teràpia més intensius que el NAPA Center de Los Angeles ofereix durant 3 setmanes, personalitzats per a cada nen en funció de les seves necessitats i objectius. La teràpia que dura 4 hores cada dia utilitzaria un NeuroSuit i una SpiderCage i pot portar un nen amb l'equivalent de 6 mesos de teràpia tradicional.

A causa del seu amor per la natació, Lukas gaudeix molt de la teràpia intensiva de natació a la qual ha pogut accedir al SwimLab internacional de Lanzarote.

Ens encantaria poder continuar recaptant fons per permetre a Lukas accedir a aquests programes intensius. Encara que realment durs i cansats per a Lukas, aquests centres fan que la teràpia sigui divertida i sempre surt després d'haver après noves habilitats i fent nous amics.