I am running the Manchester half marathon for Holly’s Hearts in May. The charity was set up by myself and my wife, Jenny after we lost our daughter Holly to cancer. Holly was just 5 years old when she passed. Please read on to see Holly’s story and what the charity does.

Holly had an ultra-rare condition called Bloom Syndrome which leads to instability in a persons DNA. Unfortunately this increases their risk of developing cancers at a young age. Holly was first diagnosed with cancer when she was 3 and she went through two major surgeries, chemotherapy and proton beam therapy. Along their journey Holly’s parents witnessed many families and children needing extra financial support and opportunities to make special memories together or to help them through their long hospital stays. When Holly sadly lost her battle and passed away the Prince family decided that they wanted to spread Holly’s love to other families going through what they went through and ensure that Holly’s legacy lived on.

With the help of a group of trustees Holly’s Hearts became a registered charity in April 2023 and since becoming registered they have gifted over 100 families with a variety of experiences and respite breaks or a gift that supports them through their cancer journey. These have included things like days out to theme parks or the zoo, short breaks away, football hospitality tickets, theatre tickets, iPads, gaming consoles….the list is endless.

Please take a look at the charities Facebook and Instagram pages.