On 12 October, I’ll be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon.

2 years ago I was blue lighted to hospital with meningitis. What followed made recovery so much more challenging – a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak which required three blood patches to resolve. This half marathon is so more than just a run for me. It’s a reminder and celebration of how far I’ve come. It’s a test of the resilience and strength that going through this medically has afforded me. Running was also never my thing so it feels even more special to do this now.

The National Brain Appeal is the charity dedicated to raising vital funds for The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, and the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology – together known as Queen Square. Queen Square is the largest clinical neuroscience provider in the UK and without some of the medics at Queen Square, I would not be where I am now.