Rory was born a perfect little boy, smiling and wriggling and squeaking. His mum and dad, my amazing friends, were beaming like they had never beamed before! 

Ten days later he was being rushed to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford with a rapidly growing cancer on his jaw.

When your tiny baby is seriously ill you need to be with them, all the time, no matter what. But for most people the specialist hospitals with the best doctors are a long way from home.

Mundane daily frustrations like long commutes, traffic jams and full car parks suddenly become maddening, heart-breaking things getting between you and your little boy who desperately needs you.

Rory’s mum and dad were offered a room in a nearby house. It was just five minutes walk from the hospital. They could rest, make a meal, clean their clothes and sleep, knowing that they were right where they needed to be.

The house was run by the Ronald McDonald House Charity.

While Rory was in intensive care, and no one knew what each next day would bring, his mum and dad would have slept on a park bench rather than risk being stuck in traffic when their boy needed them most. But they didn’t need to. They were given a bed, and a roof over their heads, and it meant they never had to leave him.

This was the first I’d heard of the charity. But after seeing the difference that house made in those horrible weeks, I decided I wanted to do what I could to support them.

I am running my first marathon this year... the London Marathon no less!!! And I’m running it for Rory. 

Rory tragically died on 4th November 2021. But his smile and positive attitude will live on forever  

Every donation, however small or large will help the Ronald McDonald House Charity (RMHC) to continue to provide these houses to parents of sick children up and down the country. 

Thank you so much,

Nicky x

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Ronald McDonald House Charities provides free 'home away from home' accommodation at specialist children's hospitals across the UK, enabling families to stay close to their child and maintain a degree of normal family life.