Sometimes someone you have never met can touch your heart in such a way you know you want to help honour their memory in any way you can.. Which is why I am running the 2025 London Marathon as part of Team Orla (which includes Orla's amazing Dad Adam, a colleague of mine) to raise money for Great Ormond Street!

Orla’s battle with cancer started in September 2022 when she was diagnosed with high risk medulloblastoma, a very rare brain tumour.

After multiple life saving operations, she started a very intense 7-month chemotherapy protocol. In that 7 months she battled multiple infections, endured additional operations, procedures, severe sepsis, where her family almost lost her, and spent her birthday and Christmas in hospital.

After overcoming so much adversity and due to her courage and determination, Orla rang the end of treatment bell in April 2023.

Devastatingly only 3 months later in July 2023, it was discovered that Orla’s cancer had returned and that there was no other treatment options available for this beautiful girl.

Due to the aggressive nature of the tumour type, Orla sadly passed away 3 weeks later in August 2023 surrounded by her loving family.

It’s hard to describe what Orla went through during her treatment, and even harder to explain how amazing, strong and courageous she was, but one thing is clear and that is Orla would not have got through half of it, if it wasn’t for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Great Ormond Street Hospital saved Orla's life on three separate occasions and gave her the best chance of surviving this horrible disease. The new children's cancer centre will offer new facilities and technology to patients, new research capabilities, dedicated critical care units and so much more.

All money raised will go towards helping the Great Ormond Street Children's Charity fund this ambitious project which will include a patient/family room in the New Children’s Cancer Centre in memory of Orla. Each room will cost roughly £350K.

Please help keep this beautiful little girls memory alive by donating anything you can.