In April 2026, Jules will be taking on a huge challenge by running the London Landmarks Half Marathon for a very special cause. Thank you so much in advance for donating whatever you can - it really will make a massive difference.

As many of you will know, our little Max was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in January 2025, just after his 4th birthday. It has been an incredibly challenging year for him, and for us as a family.

There is still a great deal of misunderstanding about what Type 1 diabetes is and the daily challenges it brings. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. It can be triggered by a virus - which is what happened in Max’s case - and it can develop at any age. Sadly, babies and young children are diagnosed every day. The only signs Max showed were that he was drinking and weeing a lot. There is currently no way to prevent Type 1 diabetes; however, new screening is available through the ELSA Diabetes Programme https://www.elsadiabetes.nhs.uk/

Tragically, many children are only diagnosed once they are seriously unwell and in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which if left untreated, would be fatal. Please take the time to learn the signs and consider screening - it really can save a child's life.

Just to give a sense of what living with Type 1 diabetes looks like for Max: every three days he has a pump change, which involves a cannula being inserted into his arm or leg, which delivers the insulin he needs. Every ten days, he also has a glucose monitor inserted into his arm. This doesn’t account for technology failures which means more insertions or the inevitable additional finger-prick tests he has to tolerate on a daily basis.

In the past year alone, Max has had over 100 pumps inserted, more than 200 injections, over 40 sensors inserted, hundreds of finger-prick tests, and three blood tests...the list goes on. He is frequently woken during the night to treat low blood sugars, and when his levels run high he may also need an injection, which again means being woken.

This is really only the tip of the iceberg in terms of how involved and relentless his care needs are. Type 1 diabetes is far more than “just checking blood sugar levels”. Max has coped with all of these changes extremely well and we are immeasurably proud of him.

We feel that research into Type 1 diabetes is rapidly gaining momentum, and we are hopeful that a cure may be within reach in the not-too-distant future. We would therefore like to raise additional funds to support the vital research that will ultimately lead to a cure, hopefully within our lifetime.

For those interested, please check out the Breakthrough T1D page for more on the new research developments: https://breakthrought1d.org.uk/ as well as the Bukhman Foundation https://bukhmanfoundation.org/type-1-diabetes

Just a quick disclaimer: Jules hasn't run in a few months due to a dodgy knee, but is hoping to hobble over the finish line! She would also like to add that she hates running and can’t think of anything worse than running further than 5k 😂

Thank you if you’ve made it this far, and we genuinely appreciate any donation, no matter how small.

Jules, Tom, Max and Louis xxxx