On the 26th April 2026 I’ll be taking part in the London Marathon for the Evelina London Children's Charity.

The Evelina will have been part of our lives for precisely 4 years when I take my place at the start line - and this is my chance to give something back to help ensure the vital care they offer can continue for all the families who need it now and in the future.

Luna was born in April 2022. We already knew she had a kidney condition which would need monitoring, with surgery to follow at some point in her first couple of years. What we didn't know at that time was how much we'd come to rely on the teams at the Evelina for so much more than that…

At 10 months old Luna had her first stay on Mountain Ward with suspected Kawasaki disease. A recurrence of symptoms 5 months later led to a lengthy hospital stay and eventually a diagnosis of SJIA. She was then put under the care of the incredible Evelina Rheumatology team. For almost 3 years they've guided her (and us!) through all that this condition brings; arthritic and inflammatory flares, numerous medication changes (and challenging side-effects), countless blood tests, infections, neutropenia, anaemia, successful kidney surgery, physiotherapy & hydrotherapy, haematology, ophthalmology & imaging appointments, patiently teaching us to administer injections at home, fortnightly infusions on Snowfox ward, and so much more.

Luna lives life the full and won't be slowed down by her condition. Despite what they entail, she strangely looks forward to our trips to the Evelina as it's a chance to see her nurse and doctor friends. She even gets home and still wants to play hospitals... But it's worth remembering that without the charity the Evelina Hospital would be just that... a hospital. There is fun and magic bursting from a lot of the staff, but it's amplified tenfold by the provision of toys, colour, sensory objects, STICKERS, a team of play sepcialists, homeliness, fun spaces and everything else.

Although there’s still a lot of unknowns in Luna's future with SJIA, we rest a little easier knowing that the Evelina, and all its incredible staff, are there to help us on the way.

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Every year more than 103,000 children and young people experience the wonderful warmth of Evelina London, which is part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. They see first-hand the care and passion of the Evelina London team who are exploring new approaches and creating ground-breaking care for children and young people.

To give you an idea of the impact of your donation:

£15 could help buy VR technology that helps to distract children from sometimes scary procedures.

£25 could help fund magical sensory equipment for therapeutic play sessions.

£50 could contribute towards pioneering research so children get the best care.

Thank you so much for your support!