My boy Tom would have been turning 16 on 4th January 2026 and to mark this occasion we felt it needed a challenge! Whilst Tom is not here with us in this world, his memory and spirit live on and his birthday is another moment for us to remember all that he was, and how much he’s still loved and thought of each and everyday by us all.

One evening Gary and I were talking about what to do in Tom’s memory - in the pub after a few pints - and he said how about I complete 16 marathons in 16 days, finishing the last one on Tom’s 16th birthday. I thought it was the beer talking but no…he was serious!

To complete this challenge Gary has to complete 26.2 miles everyday starting on Saturday 20th December and finishing on Sunday 4th January….

This is a massive challenge and Gary welcomes anyone who would like to join him along the way, even if it’s just for a few miles. On the final day we would like if friends and family would join the final part of the journey at the Martello Tower and walk down to Splash together, where we can honour Tom’s memory and wish him a happy heavenly birthday.

The loss of Tom from our lives has been devastating, and the enormity of knowing we have to live the rest of our lives without him by our side is still incomprehensible. Our world stopped on 29th February 2024, and no matter how much time goes by the pain and grief will always follow us. It’s a world we are still trying to navigate together.

Our aim is to never let Tom be forgotten, to carry forth his name over the years and to remember the fun, caring, charismatic and vivacious boy that Tom was.

There are so many amazing charities that help so many in need and we want to support as many as we can over our events to celebrate Tom’s life. This time we would like to support Chestnut Treehouse.

Niamh and I have received invaluable support from this charity and they help so many families. They are a children’s charity providing hospice care services and community support for children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, and supporting families experiencing the loss of their child. https://www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/what-we-do/

Any support given, being it by donations or supporting Gary would be amazing and very much appreciated.

#Tom #FlyHigh #Forever14 💙 🕊️