In early 2025, Aria’s parents were given a diagnosis no family should ever have to hear: POLG-related mitochondrial disease.

It’s a rare genetic condition that slowly shuts down the body’s ability to produce energy — the very thing every cell needs to survive. It is progressive. It is devastating. And it is terminal.

Aria’s dad, Terry, and her uncle, Adam, have watched this unfold one painful moment at a time. There is no cure. There’s no roadmap. Just hope, heartbreak, and holding on to every precious day.

And yet, through seizures, hospital stays, feeding tubes, and exhaustion beyond words, Aria still finds the strength to smile. In ICU, a nurse tied her curls into pigtails and said she looked like Boo from Monsters, Inc. — and so, Ari Boo was born.

In honour of her, and in the hope of a better future for families like theirs, Terry and Adam are taking on the 2026 London Marathon as part of Team Ari Boo, raising money for The Lily Foundation — the UK’s leading mitochondrial disease charity.

Thanks to the incredible support we’ve already received for our Alton Towers Half Marathon, we’ve raised over £1,500 so far — and now we’re taking the next step, training for the biggest challenge yet.

We’ve been given this amazing opportunity by The Lily Foundation, and we are determined to give it everything we’ve got.

Please help us make every mile matter. Every donation brings hope, funds research, and supports families facing the unimaginable.

For Aria. For answers. For hope.

Thank you 💜

📲 Follow and support us on our journey:

Instagram: @teamariboo

TikTok: @teamariboo

Facebook: Team Ari Boo