On the 27th of April I will be running THE LONDON MARATHON!

I am excited and terrified at the same time, although I have been told about this a few months ago, I still can't believe this is actually happening. I mean, this is not just big, this is HUGE! I couldn’t be happier or more honoured to represent LONG COVID SOS who has generously agreed to offer me their first ever (!) and the only place in THE LONDON MARATHON.

On the 27th of April 2025 I will be making a history (gulp). No pressure, right?

LONG COVID SOS is an amazing charity which is making a difference for people affected by the aftermath of encountering the virus. Unfortunately, there are still many people out there who think COVID was a hoax and just a load of bull to restrict our freedoms, chip us, etc. But they couldn’t be more wrong for those who have dealt with it first hand, battled through it and continue battling every single day – it couldn’t be more real.

My story:

Covid first became a part of our lives in January 2020. At the time, there were no tests to officially confirm it, but all the symptoms were there. I felt awful for several weeks but was lucky to make a quick recovery. My husband suffered with fatigue, loss of appetite and brain fog till early September 2020 and even now, 5 years later, he still, from time to time, experiences these symptoms.

In November 2021, despite being double vaccinated, we’ve contacted Covid for the second time and this time our younger son was hit the hardest. When Daniel was a baby, he had eczema and allergy to eggs and dairy products, which he later grew out of and from the age of 5 we no longer had any problems.

Covid hit him where he was weakest.

A week before Daniel has tested positive for Covid for the first time, he started developing skin rash, which started on his neck, slowly progressing onto his face and body. Around Christmas we noticed that Daniel’s eczema was getting out of control with flareups worsening depending on what he ate. By a way of elimination, we’ve worked out that his egg and dairy allergies have returned together with allergies for many other foods that he was never allergic to. Soya. Nuts. Fish. Tomatoes. Peppers. Strawberries. And many more.

All through 2022, we’ve been seeing different doctors, NHS and Private, trying to explain to them that it’s likely something more serious than just an ordinary eczema. No usual treatments worked and his eczema only got worse. It affected his sleep, his physical and mental well-being, and his school attendance had dropped to below 50%.

In March 2023, we were able to get a referral to a private paediatric dermatologist. When we finally got to see her, Daniel’s skin was so bad that she was worried, he will require an inpatient treatment in the hospital. She confirmed our suspicion that Covid has caused Daniel’s immune system to go into an overdrive state treating everything as a threat, causing various inflammations and allergic reactions in his body. She said she did see similar conditions in people after Covid or those having “live” Covid vaccines, but Daniel’s case was by far the worse she has seen.

Thankfully, she was able to work out a treatment plan, which was the first step in managing Daniel’s Long Covid condition.

For the first 2 months, Daniel was on antibiotics, oral steroids and two different antihistamines.

For the 8 months that followed, Daniel was put on the immunosuppressants therapy (not without its challenges), which in combination with various creams and ointments, has helped to stop constant inflammatory process in his body and assisted his skin’s recovery. Blocking his immune system has helped his skin to heal enough for him to return back to school, to reunite with his friends and smash those SATS tests top 10 of his class.

Now, as I write this in January 2025, Daniel was gradually weaned off the immunosuppressants and introduced to immunomodulating medicine, which is helping to adjust his immune system. He's triving in the secondary school and enjoys various activities with his peers.

Well, this sounds like a happy ending, right? Unfortunately, not just yet. Although Daniel’s condition is now easier to manage, the immunomodulating medicine that he’s currently on comes in a form of VERY PAINFUL weekly injections which are accompanied by physical (loss of appetite, stomach pains, muscle pains, feeling sick and being sick) and emotional (anxiety and mood swings) side effects that he is soldering on through every day.

I’m sure Daniel is not the only one and there are many people affected by Long Covid in some way or another. I hope that my son’s story will help people to see the importance of Long Covid research which is paramount to correct disgnostics and treatment, so sometime down the line another child or an adult won't need to wait for a year and a half for the correct treatment.

Thank you for supporting Long Covid SOS with me.