As a relatively keen runner who has taken on a few half marathons, I know all too well that the idea of doubling the distance is absolutely terrifying and something I vowed I'd never do, yet here we are....

On the 19th of April 2026, I will be running Manchester Marathon with Sheffield Children's Hospital Trust in honour and memory of my son Cillian.

Our Story:

On the 2nd of August 2025, our wonderful son Cillian passed away suddenly and unexpectedly after he suffered a cardiac arrest at home. He was 22 months old.

Cillian was a happy, healthy little boy. He loved running around, playing in sand and visiting parks. We're forever grateful that his time with us was completely packed with joy.

Whilst this was a truly awful time, the support we received from the Sheffield Children's Hospital allowed us to begin the process of grieving with their above and beyond support. Their care of Cillian after he passed away was nothing short of incredible and allowed us to say goodbye in our own time.

It's integral that specialist care is available to children and their families to support them, help them grow and to avoid other lives being too short or too difficult.

We feel so lucky that we have a children's specialist hospital in our city, and we would like that service to continue to thrive and be available for generations.

We were and will always be heartbroken by this loss, but being able to raise awareness and fundraise for charities, such as Sheffield Children's, help give us a purpose and a focus whilst we find a way to rebuild our lives, whilst honouring and remembering Cilly.

The Charity:

We support Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is one of only three dedicated children’s hospital trusts in the UK and provides integrated healthcare for children and young people across the country, including community and mental health care, as well as acute and specialist services.

At Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity, we support the thousands of patients and families at Sheffield Children’s by funding the life-changing and the joy-sparking.