Here's a little bit about why I've chosen to run the Cardiff half-marathon:

In September 2022 my daughter (Khloe) was poorly and unfortunately, her body decided to attack her pancreas which caused her to become a type 1 diabetic.

Khloe was admitted straight into the High Dependency unit at Royal Cornwall Hospital with her blood sugars over 27 and her ketone was so high they couldn’t be measured.

Her HBA1C was 127 on admission. Khloe’s condition rapidly deteriorated which led her to be transferred to the critical care unit. For the first 48 hours she was unconscious, and the critical care team worked closely with WATCH Bristol Children's Hospital, as if her condition wasn’t improving they would transfer her there.

I just remember thinking how am I going to safely travel to Bristol and find accommodation all whilst Khloe was so critically ill?

I'm forever thankful to all the staff at Royal Cornwall Hospital for saving Khloe’s life. 12 hours longer and things would have ended very differently.

In Cornwall & Devon we don’t have a dedicated paediatric critical care facility, our closest is Bristol.

I’m running the Cardiff half marathon to help other families facing a similar situation.

Running a half marathon is relentless, but for children and adults living with Type 1 diabetes, it’s having to think about everything you eat and drink, the daily activities you normally do, even down to all the broken sleep trying to regulate blood sugar levels through the night. All the appointments with medical professionals. All the long-term health complications that come with having type 1 diabetes.

So this is for Khloe and all the other families that go through this daily struggle.

Any donations, however small, would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you so much

Becky

Ronald McDonald House Charities UK provides free accommodation and support for families with children in hospital. When the best medical care isn't close to home, a Ronald McDonald House keeps families together. Just £25 can help support a family for one night. Your donation will make the world of difference to families in need.

With 14 Houses across the UK, each year they help over 6,000 families to stay together, and they couldn't continue without your support. There are many more families who need their support - so to help build even more Houses across the UK, I am part of a team of runners taking part in Cardiff Half Marathon.

Taking place on Sunday 6 October, I'll take to the streets of Cardiff in an incredible day of running across the city. Please help me to keep more families with their sick children by donating and supporting #TeamRMHCUK at Cardiff Half Marathon 2024. It is thanks to supporters taking on events like this that RMHC UK can continue to be there for families.