On 31st December 2012 I lost my mum, Michelle Mulvey, after her struggle with alcohol addiction. 

My mum was an amazing woman who always did everything she could for me. Unfortunately, she had experienced a number of challenges in life and sadly didn't have the right support around her to help so she used alcohol to cope. 

My memories of my mum aren't clouded by the version of her that she was when she started drinking. I instead remember her taking us to Stanley park for picnics; hosting sleepovers almost every weekend; our 'spa' nights in the front room with face masks, pizza and films; being happy to help anyone when she could and, always making sure that I knew she loved me no matter what. 

The drinking reached its peak in 2012 and throughout the year she got worse, until the last day of the year when she sadly passed away. I lost my best friend, my home, everything. 

I've now been in foster care for almost ten years and my fosters carers have been amazing and have helped me explore and understand what I experienced at home. I now somewhat understand how my mum got to the point where she felt like she only had alcohol to turn to. I can be mad at her decision, but I mainly feel sad for her and wish she hadn't felt so alone. However, I didn’t see it like this when I was younger, I felt like I was the only child going through this as it just wasn’t spoke about. 

I'm running this marathon not only for my mum, to break the stigma surrounding alcoholism and encourage people to reach out for support, but also for 12-year-old me who needed someone to go to for help and reassurance that I wasn’t alone. That's why all the money raised will be donated to Nacoa (The National Association for Children of Alcoholics). Hopefully by raising money for Nacoa, more awareness can be raised surrounding this issue and young people in similar situations are made aware of who they can reach out to for support. 

The marathon takes place on October 2nd 2022. I'll be taking part in the TCS Virtual London Marathon, meaning I will be running the marathon outdoors still, but in Blackpool, where I grew up and where I have all my memories with my mum. 

Any donations would be massively appreciated! Thank you Xx

Nacoa (The National Association for Children of Alcoholics) is a Bristol based charity founded in 1990 to provide help and support for everyone affected by a parent’s drinking. We believe that every child has the right to a happy childhood and to live a creative and meaningful life but when drink is the family secret they are more likely to experience family violence, neglect and other problems in their own homes.

https://nacoa.org.uk