On the 22nd of September 2-17, Seren entered this world a perfect 6lb 2oz at 3am, making us two very proud and emotional parents. 12 weeks 5 days on from that date she unfortunately lost her battle to a very rare, genetic mitochondrial disorder. From just 7 weeks old, Seren spent a significant amount of time in our local Hospital but when she took a turn for the worst we were transferred to Addenbrookes PICU ward. I remember Katie and I having a conversation about where we would stay, hotels weren’t nearby, we didn’t have a car with us and the cheapest was £100 a night. Step up The Sick Childrens Trust, the ladies in Pink, who provided a home from home to families in need. They have houses dotted around the country, supporting vulnerable families, they provided a room for us and some comfort when we needed it most.

The STC teams support didn’t stop there, after Seren had died we had multiple follow ups with the hospital’s Drs who were trying to get to the route cause of her death, neither Katie or I wanted to step foot in the hospital again so The STC let us use a private room in their house where we could hold meetings in a safe, comfortable, non-clinical environment, nothing was to much trouble for them.

The year following her death we dove into charitable work raising around £40,000 for SCT, including 2 sponsored walks and a huge Pier to Pier bike ride where 13 riders and 6 support “staff”, made up of my closest friends and family, rode across the country totaling 320 miles in 4 days.

Katie and I have gone on to have 2 more beautiful children, Rhys and Anwen and put our fundraising on hold, but have continued to support the charity where we can. We are very fortunate to have a very loving family who have taken the baton and continued to raise money for SCT. My brother in law Drew and cousin Chris have both run the London Marathon, our nephew Luke walked 2.6 miles every day for 7 days at the age of 6 and Katie’s Dad organized a sponsored walk in Clacton. We were also honored to be invited back to Acorn house last year to cook for the families staying there.

Now it’s my turn again, I wanted to challenge myself. If I was going to ask people to donate money again It needed to be something I didn’t like, Running!

With the support of Katie, Rhys and Anwen, I am ready for this challenge, it’s going to push me hard and really delve into my mental ability. I am a running novice and will need all the help I can get. From tips and tricks for training, to nutrition, recovery and on the day support. I am open to talking to anyone who will help. My physio, Tom from ST-PC has already said he is up for the challenge, I am not sure what he meant by that 😊. I invite anyone to come join me on this journey, I would love to go for a run with you, rain or shine, long or short, fast or slow.

Acorn house was there for us and so many others, since we completed our fundraising, two of Katie’s friends have messaged to say they have stayed in our sponsored room, our close friend’s nephew was sadly diagnosed with Leukemia and they stayed at Acorn house. Finally, Rhys’ very first friend, Finley was also diagnosed with Leukemia and he and his family spent a significant amount of time at the house before he lost his battle last year and passed away at 3 years old.

As part of the SCT team, all money raised will be directed to Acorn house. It costs £40 a night to support a family. I know that in this current climate, money is tight but anything you can give will go towards helping a family in their darkest hours. Every £1 is truly appreciated.

If you are in a position where you can sponsor that little bit more, and can sponsor me £40, you will receive a certificate from the charity themselves to show you have supported a family for a night on behalf of Seren and my family. (Please make sure you select the gift aid button to allow access to your personal data, you can let me know if it’s something you would like to do. It can be sent in PDF form if you would prefer).