I am running the Great North Run in September to raise money for a charity that has supported a friend and her beautiful family. Please read her story below. This will be a challenge for me personally due to back issues however there is no better reason to complete this challenge.

If you can spare a pound, please support this amazing charity that makes a difficult situation that wee bit easier.

Anna's story...

At 2.30am on 4th July 2023, I sat down in a treatment room of our local hospital and was informed that my 18 month old had a mass in his brain. The doctor informed me he was going to be rushed to Glasgow's Children's Hospital where he needed to go into surgery immediately to release pressure on his brain. By 10.30 that morning I was waiting in his hospital room while he was in theatre. The pressure was relieved and we were informed the following week he'd go back into surgery to have the tumor removed and sent for biopsy. This surgery was a success though some of the tumor needed to be left. The following week we were informed he had a rare, aggressive, malignant tumor called ATRT and that chemotherapy would be required. A week later he started chemotherapy. Four weeks!! Four of the worst weeks of our lives. At the start of June Grant was our happy healthy boy and within 4 weeks every aspect of our lives has been turned upside down. His symptoms started only with a squint. An easily missed head squint that his nursery (Stirling Little Stars) picked up on and reported to us.

That was over seven months ago. We are lucky that Grant has now finished his treatment but it was tough and we wouldn't have gotten through it without the help of our family, friends and the amazing charities. They picked us up in our darkest hour and we will be fundraising this year to give them back a fraction of what they have given us. Thank you.

UPDATE

Unfortunately, since I set this page up after Grants positive MRI scan on 15th January he sadly relapsed and scans revealed that his cancer had advanced rapidly. He was sadly put on end of life care and died peacefully with his family all around him a short time later. He and the family were again supported by Glasgow Children's Hospital and the many other charities around them.

I will be running this race with wee Grant looking down on me and I hope I can do Anna, Jim & JJ proud by supporting an amazing charity. They have already raised so much through other races / events that family and friends have participated in so let's try and add a little bit more.

Thanks for all the support and motivation so far.