Childhood cancer is one of the most devastating and harrowing conditions that a family can ever experience. The rollercoaster of despair, optimism, fear, anxiety and hope intertwined with surgery and chemotherapy is enough to test any family beyond their limits. When our precious 4 year old daughter was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma in 2018, a very rare childhood cancer, our world was tipped upside down. For 10 months, we were in and out of hospital every week. The NHS medial staff were amazing, and their warmth, their compassion and their medical care was second to none. Despite a huge amount of physical, and emotional trauma, our daughter came out the other side cancer free.

My daughter is a beautiful normal and happy 8 year old that lives life to the full. Rhabdomyosarcoma was a freak scar on her childhood, however that chapter is behind us and she is no more likely to experience cancer, than any one else.

Not everyone is so fortunate, however. Every year, children around the world are diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, and their lives, and their families lives are torn apart. The Chris Lucas trust is solely focused on supporting families whose children are diagnosed with this terrible condition. The charity directly funds research in to childhood cancer, and works tirelessly to find more effective treatments and cures for this brutal condition.

I was joined by many of my dearest friends in 2019 to participate in the Great North Run and raise funds to support the Chris Lucas Trust. In 2022, Robin Hobbs, Brett McGarr and Ben Hodges will be joining me again to run for this hugely important cause. In addition, we will be joined by Luke Brown and this year my sons Harvey (aged 18) and Fraser (aged 17) will also be experiencing their first half marathon!

We are all running together to raise money for the Chris Lucas Trust, and through our efforts we hope to make a meaningful contribution to the fight against Rhabdomyosarcoma. Through our experiences we are aware of many families that have been devastated by childhood cancer. Some of these families have experienced unfathomable and heart breaking losses, that are cruel beyond words. Harvey, Fraser and I hope that our combined efforts will encourage you to support us raise money for this very worthwhile cause. Together we can all fight childhood cancer.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.