Back in July 2016 Amanda was suddenly hauled into hospital following a blood test as her levels were so low and we were told it was almost certain she had Leukaemia. Following a very scary period where we all feared the worst, the test results came back and she was diagnosed with Aplastic Anaemia - a deficiency of all types of blood cell caused by failure of bone marrow development.

In the months since she has had countless bone marrow tests and medications to see how best to improve her situation. Recently she has had the new diagnosis of Hypoplastic Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) which is a blood disorder that causes a drop in your number of healthy blood cells.

Amanda will have to have a bone marrow transplant as this is the only potential cure for her condition. Luckily she has a full tissue-type match among her siblings so this increases the chances of her transplant being successful. However, she will have to undergo some form of Chemotherapy beforehand and this may result in her losing her hair and possibly even becoming infertile. It's a lot to take in when you've just entered your 20's.

Thankfully we are now getting closer to Amanda being back to her usual self and hopefully being able to go back to complete her last year of uni. All of this has only been made possible by the support and work of the Royal Marsden who are amazing people - so please dig deep and give whatever you can... 14 Miles is a long walk for a short fat lady!!

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.