My story belongs to Imogen Raxter who is one of the reasons I chose to fundraise for The Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF). To see your friends have a child who is born with this very rare condition and have the agonising wait for a donor knowing that if they are lucky enough to receive one the journey is far from over is...well there are no words that can quite do it justice. The bravery and resilience the children and their parents show is unbelievable. 

CLDF have been fantastic in helping Imogen and her family and when I said I wanted to run The London Marathon in 2020 they suggested I do it for the charity. Obviously this didn't go to plan due the pandemic but I ran it virtually with the support of family and great friends. The charity have lost staff, funds and resources as a result of the pandemic and they need help more than ever so I ran the 2022 London Marathon. The pandemic was really hard for children like Imogen. Shielding sucks, no playing with friends, no school when everyone else was still going, no socially distanced walks, no ability to pop to the shops or for 1 walk a day like the rest of us. Imagine explaining that to a child. She was amazing but it is vital that children with liver disease have access to the services the charity provides during these challenging times.

Imogen was born with a rare type of liver disease. I can't explain how difficult it must be to be told your beautiful newborn needs a liver transplant and wait patiently for a donor whilst spending most of your time in hospital and try to remain positive. Imogen got her liver transplant and is doing incredibly well. She takes her medicines every day to stop her body rejecting her new organ and continues to amaze us with her bubbly personality and unwavering energy. She’s a much loved friend to us. She takes part in The Transplant Games every year and brings back a plethora of Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. Infact, Imogen cycled several miles alongside me during the 2020 virtual London Marathon and it really spurred me on.

Imogen’s parents Kate and Julian can’t sing the praises of CLDF enough. They provide invaluable information and support to children and parents affected by Children’s Liver Diseases. There is no cure. The families and children affected by this have to live with it for the rest of their lives so it is important that they have support, information and are able to meet other people who are dealing with it. 

Thanks for reading this and for your support with my London Marathon JustGiving challenge!

My page donations will be sent direct to the charity in a fast and secure way. Its efficient, saves time and cuts costs for the charity. Let's do this