In April I will be running my first (and probably last!) marathon in order to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation.

In 2010 my Dad had an aortic aneurysm whilst visiting family in Devon. Fate had it that he was very close to one of the countries foremost specialists in Plymouth and they saved his life.

Fast forwards to 2017 and Dad was again in surgery to essentially replace his aorta and again save his life. Unfortunately after the surgery, his vital signs were not right and he was rushed back in for further surgery.

Over 16 hours of surgery took their toll, with Dad then being in an induced coma for weeks after this. He was left paralysed from the waist down and suffers various severe issues with his respiratory system and kidneys. However, he is still going strong and has lived to see the birth of his Grandaughter, my brother and Becca get married and many more happy memories made with his family.

As well as being a key part of the research that saved Dad's life on both occasions, whilst Dad was in hospital for a long time, BHF funded accomodation for my mum to stay in, so that she could be by his side every day.

I'll be forever grateful for the work of the British Heart Foundation, fundraising for them is something that I feel very driven to do. The marathon will be a massive challenge, but I'm enjoying the training so far and I'm determined to be in shape to complete it in under 4 hours.

Please give whatever you can.