I don't like running. I've avoided it my entire adult life. But here we are, with a fundraising page about running. 🤦‍♀️

My brilliant step dad Steve (hi Steve 👋) was diagnosed with MDS a few years ago. It's a type of rare blood cancer where you don't have enough healthy blood cells.

It recently developed into acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and doctors are looking for potential donors for a stem cell transplant. 📅

Steve is currently in hospital with endocarditis and a transplant is not only reliant on him being in good health, but also on finding a suitable match.

Unfortunately, four out of 10 patients in the UK looking for an unrelated donor are unable to find a match. There's little I can do to help (I opted for a career in fundraising instead of medicine, silly me), but I can contribute to charities doing incredible work for people like Steve. And who better to fundraise for than DKMS, a charity dedicated to the fight against blood cancer.

Back to running. 🏃‍♀️ I've gone from 0 (and I mean zero, no running ever) to 30 minutes silly little runs in the last few weeks. I'm having no fun, waiting for it to become enjoyable like so many of you say it will, ugh, but in the meantime, I've set a goal and entered some events you can sponsor me for.

I could have asked you all to donate without putting myself in this sweaty situation, and I'm sure you would have given had I explained why, but I hope you'll now appreciate how important it is and throw in the cost of a coffee or beer on top too. 🍻

I'll add the events here as I go, and recommendations welcomed. I'll start with the Supernova Kelpies 5k in March 2024 and see what happens! Steve might have completed the London Marathon, but I'm a long way from that distance, FYI. The thought of 10k fills me with fear.

🙌 Your donations will help recruit much needed blood stem cell donors to provide people with a second chance at life. You'll give me a boost when pacing the cold, dark, wet Edinburgh streets, and you'll feel pretty damn good about it all too.

Thank you.

P.S Please consider becoming a potential blood stem cell donor, at dkms.org.uk or anthonynolan.org

Just 3% of the UK’s population are registered as potential donors, and only a tiny proportion from minority ethnic communities. Patients in need of a transplant are far more likely to match with donors of a similar ethnicity. People from ethnic minority backgrounds often have rarer tissue types which makes it harder to find matching donors.

🩸 If you can, donate your life-saving blood too. Visit scotblood.co.uk or blood.co.uk to register and book an appointment.