So I’ve set myself a challenge this year to run 50 miles a month for the whole of 2018 with the addition of the Great North Run to raise money for the Alfie Bears Journey Fund, a support group of The Brain Tumour Charity.

With so many deserving charities out there you may wonder why this one? Well the day I attended the Alfie Bears Journey Fund annual dinner i did not expect to leave feeling like I did, enlightened to a terminal disease I’d never given any thought to (embarrassingly as it had never effect me or my family so why should I need too) and saddened that in this day and age with the research and medical technology available out there there is still no positive outcome for a child diagnosed with DIPG.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a brain tumour found in a part of the brain stem called the pons. Brain tumors remain the most common cause of cancer-related death in children, and DIPG is the leading cause of death from pediatric brain tumors. A child diagnosed with DIPG today faces the same prognosis as a child diagnosed 40 years ago. There is still no effective treatment and no chance of survival. Children with DIPG commonly experience double vision, reduced eye movement, facial weakness or asymmetry, and arm and leg weakness. They also have problems with walking, coordination, speech, chewing, and swallowing. As the tumor progresses, it also interferes with breathing and heartbeat, which ultimately results in the child’s death.

I'm a mother myself and can not imagine being given the news that my baby boy could not win a battle he so heartbreakingly had no choice but to face. Listening to the stories of the little character Alfie was before this awful disease took hold of him & seeing his heartbroken family and the pain they have all had to go through forced me to realise that such tragedy could happen to any one of us at any point in our children’s lives. I knew that evening that I had to do something to help raise money for such a worthy cause.

 If I, with your help and support can raise £1000 for the Brain Tumour Charity for ongoing research in Alfie’s memory the year ahead that I have committed to undertake will be all the more bearable.

Please please give anything you can, any amount no matter how small will be hugely appreciated. Together we can make a difference xx

To read more about Alfie Bears Journey Fund please go to ......

http://www.alfiebearsjourney.co.uk/ or

http://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/get-involved/supporter-groups/groups/alfies-journey-fund/