Please note that for medical reasons i am now not able to run the marathon next Sunday. My sincere apologies - the family and i are bitterly disappointed but health is more important. Please carry on donating as Louis has promised to run 5K that day instead.

Christmas 2010

Louis is the youngest of 3 brothers and at 5 weeks old he had Meningococcal Septicaemia (10 weeks after his 1 year old brother had it- but mildly). We were told he wouldn't last the night and when he did we were told if he survived he would be blind, deaf, limbless and brain damaged. He wasn't any of those! We were then told he'd have years of plastic surgery as he lost all his skin from the waist down- he's had no plastic surgery!!! Louis defies the odds at every turn.

His lasting effects come from the meningitis destroying the growth plates in his legs so his left leg grew shaped like a banana- this still didn't stop him playing rugby a year above his age group or cricket for the u13's!! 

After amazing surgery this June by Mr Furlong, the Trust's Clinical Director, his leg is now beautifully straight and his mobility is coming on well. 

It was the toughest New Year we have ever had, we can not thank the tireless work of the team that night nor of the staff in the Children's Intensive Care Unit (CICU) over the 3 weeks or so Louis was in there enough, this is my way of saying 'Thank you'. 

The East Midands is the only region in the UK that doesn't have a dedicated children's hospital on one site. The Leicester Children's Hospital Appeal aims to establish a state of the art children's hospital at the Leicester Royal Infirmary , 

Your support of this appeal is not just about the families of today, it’s about securing a future of children’s healthcare of the highest quality for our region that all of us can be rightfully proud of.