Within 13 months, my family unfortunately lost my grandad, grandma and my dad. Losing my dad was one of the worst shocks we could ever imagine, he was an amazing man, a man so caring, brilliant and wonderful to all. He was a proud dad, husband, grandad, uncle, role model and chairman of his beloved Riding Mill cricket club.

Sadly, out of nowhere, my dad passed a way from a large stroke on 17th December 2024. There was nothing anyone could do to save him but even until the end he showed just what type of person he was by donating his organs. Through organ donation, my dad provided 3 different people with better and hopefully longer and healthier lives, potentially saving 3 other families from the trauma mine had to suffer. Organ donation is such a rare gift, the eligibility criteria is strict, only 1% of registered organ donors able to donate after they pass away. As painful as losing my dad was, the hope and comfort that he was able to help and save others with this incredibly rare but beautiful gift provided some peace of mind for my family.

In the UK alone 240 people each day suffer a stroke, and a life is sadly lost every 15 minutes while globally, 1 in 4 people over the age of 25 will experience a stroke in their lifetime. My grandparents had also suffered strokes in the past and even though they weren't fatal, there was still a recovery process and longer-term effects. From the loss of my dad, grandma and grandad, my family has realised how these things can really happen to anyone and within minutes, a family’s life can turn upside down. In order to try and help those who may go through similar experiences to our family, his 2 daughters, loving wife and a group of family and close friends will be taking on the Kielder half marathon (or marathon/10km) to raise money for The Stroke Association. We have chosen The Stroke Association as it is currently the only charity in the UK providing lifelong support for all stroke survivors and their families indicating the importance of supporting this amazing charity.

My dad was also known as ‘Geordie boy’ due to his love of Newcastle United, therefore our group of runners under the team name ‘Geordie boy on a bender’ will be running in Newcastle united tops, even the non-Newcastle fans. We are truly gutted he missed the recent cup final, but we believe it was him from up there providing the win. With him being born in 1955, it's only fitting the year he was born and the year he died we brought a cup home, especially with the parade being held on my mum and dad's wedding anniversary. This entire weekend will be dedicated to him and any support or donations would be greatly appreciated, so in memory of Geordie boy, bring on Kielder and all the hills.