I am running the Great North Run to raise money for The Great North Children’s Hospital. My little 2 year old son, Winston, has recently been diagnosed with an incredibly rare form of germ cell cancer, which has affected his spine and his brain, and left him unable to walk unaided. His left eye became fixed and he had stopped eating his favourite foods. As soon as we knew something was wrong, my wife and I rushed him to A&E, where he underwent MRI scans and testing. Pretty soon we were told he had an aggressive cancer (non germinoma germ cell cancer) and his prognosis was less than favourable. After his first round of chemotherapy, he improved and was slowly learning how to walk again, and by the time his second chemo had ended, he could run and his eye has now almost returned to normal. His consultant is over the moon with how quickly he is improving, and his tumour marker levels (AFP which shouldn’t be above 10) had gone from over 10,000 to 256! Still a way to go, but a drastic drop in his levels which is amazing! I am trying to raise as much money as I can to give to this incredible hospital he is being treated in. The staff are kind and make Winston feel comfortable and safe, and the treatment he has received here has been more than we could have dreamed would be available to him. 

Please support us and give anything you possibly can to support The Great North Children’s Hospital! x