Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Joseph is my friends' nephew and his family are raising money for a great cause.

Inspired by Joseph's fight against a rare and aggressive brain tumour, his parents Amy & Alex, family and friends are dedicating 2016 to raising £11,000 for The North of England Children’s Cancer Research Fund (NECCR).

Joseph is a true inspiration and I am doing my bit to help raise the £11000. I did the Women's Mini Marathon in Dublin on 6th, ran the Waterford Half Marathon on June 25 and the Dublin Rock and Roll Half Marathon on August 6.  I managed to shave a MASSIVE 32 seconds off my Waterford time in Dublin and am hoping to do shave at least the same off again this weekend?!

When Joseph was just 8 months old he was diagnosed with a rare and very aggressive brain tumour called ATRT. The news was devastating, and his parents were told that the chances of treatment working were slim.

After brain surgery couldn’t remove all of the tumour he then went through 11 rounds of chemotherapy, high dose chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. The side effects of this intensive treatment were horrendous and extremely tough for such a little boy, Joseph’s whole life revolved around hospital, attached to lines, and fed through a tube. High dose chemotherapy completely wiped out his own immune system and it left him in intensive care, fighting for his life.

Luckily, against the odds, scans showed that the treatment had worked and that there was no longer any sign of the tumour. He’s now a lively three year old, and 18 months post treatment he’s doing so well. However, we know he will always have to live with the side effects of this intensive treatment. 

The charity funds vital research into the causes and treatment of cancer in childhood, developing less toxic and more effective treatments, for the benefit of children with cancer everywhere. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.