****UPDATE****  LONDON MARATHON 2023 is ON! I'm still struggling with niggles in my hip, but after alot of soul searching, physio, massage and a very expensive new pair of running shoes I decided I'm going to give the training and the marathon a shot. I'm now in week 4 of training and so far so good. Even if I have to walk this marathon I will do it for Aidan and for the Lily Foundation.

It's been a long term dream and fear of mine to run the London Marathon. I wanted to do it when I turned 40 but Covid had other ideas. It seems very fitting that I should run my first and only marathon in memory of our beautiful little boy Aidan, ten years after he was born, and to raise funds for the Lily Foundation who support families affected by Mitochondrial disease. Yes I like to run, but the hours of training required for a marathon and the event itself will be an extraordinary challenge for me. Please support me if you can.

My story is below:

On 4th August 2022 it will be 10 years ago that I gave birth to our beautiful baby boy Aidan. Many of you already know our story but for those who don't, Aidan was born on Super Saturday of the 2012 Olympic games. He was a healthy happy baby, hitting all his mile stones and we enjoyed quality time together as a family. When Aidan was 11 months old, he started to become very fatigued, and struggled to lift his head when crawling. He was seen by a paediatrician, then another, then another. Following numerous tests, MRI scans, CT scans, prolonged stays in hospital in Brighton and London and a muscle biopsy, we received the devastating news that Aidan had mitochondrial disease, a rare genetic disease for which there is no cure or treatment. Aidan was diagnosed days before his 1st birthday.

Aidan put up a good fight but the mitochondrial disease was causing all his internal muscles and organs to fail. He was too tired to fight anymore and he died aged 19 months old at the Royal Alex Hospital in Brighton on 1st March 2014.

The Lily Foundation was the first charity we contacted when we received the diagnosis. Liz, the CEO was there to personally support us, and the whole team at the charity were able to give us information and support after Aidan was diagnosed and after he died. We have enjoyed 3 Lily Family Weekends all funded by the charity. We were able to go to Centre Parcs with Evie after Aidan died, funded by the charity. Most importantly, the research the Lily Foundation fund enabled the doctors and scientists to help us have another child free from Mitochondrial disease. Rosie was born in 2016 and does not have the affected genes.

The charity's mission is to support families, fund research and find a cure. They can only do this through fundraising. Please give what you can and support my  marathon in memory of our beautiful Aidan.