Hi everyone, Melissa here :)

As many of you know, my beloved Grandad Eric died in November 2025 due to complications of Dementia with Lewy Bodies. My Grandad unfortunately suffered with hallucinations, hearing voices and confusion. This lead to his latter years being lived between different eras, sometimes with friends and family who had passed long ago or believing he was living within many of the films that he'd watched in the past.

Watching my Grandad live with this cruel disease was obviously incredibly difficult. I felt helpless. I watched my hero, a man who was so incredibly smart and poised, disintegrate before my eyes. It never took his humour or his love away though. That is one thing he kept until the very end.

Being honest with you, if you're thinking about donating to our cause, I'd like to preface that I have NEVER been a runner. I was always the kid in Primary School who would pretend to fall over to get out of cross country. I hated it. Call it a 'mid youth crisis' or a genuine way to deal with my emotions, I picked up running in September and I haven't looked back. I am absolutely a beginner, following the Couch25K challenge, and onward, alongside my boyfriend Ben. That being said, we are so looking forward to running the challenge this year in memory of my Grandad.

Running found me, personally, at a great time in my life, actually. I'd gotten *just* good enough by the time my Grandad died in November for it to be a perfect outlet, and a way to channel my grief. To do the Great North Run 2026 will always be a challenge, but I'm boosted with the motivation to run in memory of the toughest fella that was my Grandad.

I chose The Brain Charity as the cause that I'm running for, as it helps people and the families of people who are affected with neurological conditions affecting the brain, spine and nervous system. They are the only UK charity to work with over 600 conditions; such as stroke, dementia, ADHD and epilepsy. They provide practical help, emotional support and social activities, offering support to anyone with a neurological condition, and their families too, in the UK. What I particularly appreciate about this charity is that 40% of their current staff have a neurological condition or are neurodivergent, ensuring that the lived experience of people is reflected in the work that they do.

I'm running the race alongside Ben, who is also running for this charity. A donation here is not only for me, but for him too.

We would be so grateful for your donations. It truly is a great cause and it would mean a great deal to us.

Thank you,

Melissa and Ben.