Here I go again! I thought it was the 10-year anniversary, but it actually is the 11th since I last ran the Great North Run. Back then I ran it for Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF), and I'm doing it for the same brilliant charity again this year (well, in 19 days' time... nothing like a last-minute fundraising effort!).

And why? Well...

Back in October 2014, Ava, who was just three months old, caught pneumococcal meningitis. We caught it early and, after visiting three different hospitals over the course of the early hours, starting in Alnwick, moving to Wansbeck and finally ending up at North Tyneside General Hospital (NTGH), where we stayed for just over two weeks.

In those hours and weeks we spent in that hospital room, Ava received the most amazing care from the doctors and nurses at NTGH, the NHS at its absolute best. The love and support our friends and family gave Mark and me was something we will never forget and will be forever grateful for.

Although we caught it early, there were times when things didn't look positive, moments when we thought she might not pull through... but she's a fighter, is wor Aves, and she did make a full recovery with no permanent damage. She is now a healthy, happy, beautiful 12-year-old who will absolutely cringe at me including the picture below, which was taken by the Chronicle in 2015, just before I ran the GNR that year - https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-shields-mums-great-north-9797156

MRF carries out vital research and raises awareness of meningitis to help families like ours bring home a healthy child. Sadly, not everyone is as fortunate as we were, all donations will help.

I am actually looking forward to the run. Will I cry? Yes. Will I be walking like a nana for at least a week afterwards? Yes. But will it be worth it? Absolutely. Because there is no better cause to run for than one that means Ava is still with us today xxx