I am running the London marathon for Ronald Mcdonald House because without the house they have in Southampton, I'm not sure what we would have done whilst Hardy was in hospital.

As many of you know, our son Hardy was born extremely prematurely at just over 24 weeks weighing 1 pound 6 ounces. Obviously for us this was a very scary time and we didnt know what was going to happen. We hadn't even thought about accommodation because it just hadn't sunk in yet that we could be there in the hospital for a long time. Luckily one of the midwives mentioned the Ronald Mcdonald House and that she would refer us to them. We found out that because of our situation and not being able to easily go home every evening we had been given a room.

I was gobsmacked the first time I walked into the house. The staff were incredible, the facilities were excellent and the room was perfect. All they asked for was a £20 deposit for the room the entire 3 and a half months Hardy was in Southampton hospital. Having the house made a horrible situation a lot less stressful and we could focus 100% on helping Hardy to become strong enough to come home.

He is now 5 1/2 and doing incredibly. He has caught up height and weight wise, actually surpassing a lot of toddlers his age (he loves his food!) He still has extreme delays regarding walking and speech but we know he will get there. Everything is done in Hardy time.

Running the London marathon has been a dream of mine for a very long time and to run it for Ronald McDonald House charity which means so much to me is literally a dream come true. Anything you can spare would be greatly appreciated and would help spur me on to complete this run and raise as much money as possible for the charity!

Any donation for this incredible charity that has done so much for my family would be greatly appreciated. Below is the blurb from the charity that explains what they do a lot better then I can.

Thank you so much

Jack

Ronald McDonald House Charities UK provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation to families with children having treatment in hospital. Our Houses offer much more than just a place to stay; they provide family activities, peer support, respite, and many other services. This means that families can be by their child’s bedside in a matter of moments, whilst maintaining a degree of normal life with reduced emotional and financial strain.We help over 6,000 families each year and now, more than ever, we need your support. Thank you.