Thank you in advance for your support.

Thursday 7th April 2016 is a day that will stick with me for life.  I was working away, but awoken very early in the morning with a call from home; my son Harry (aged 3) had been rushed in to hospital.  I was told that Harry was undergoing an emergency operation to stem a bleed in his nose, but reassured by one of the doctors that it was a routine procedure, and all would be fine.  Unfortunately, a few hours later, the same doctor advised me that I should return to the UK as soon as possible, as Harry had been diagnosed with leukaemia.

While his diagnosis knocked the family sideways, Harry’s sense of humour, strength and determination allowed him to fight the cancer head-on.  Harry underwent two years of intense and debilitating daily chemotherapy, fighting all the way, he has now been off treatment for eighteen months and living life to the full.

When Harry was diagnosed, I naively knew very little about CLIC Sargent (www.clicsargent.org.uk) and the impact that the charity would have on our lives in the coming months.  The CLIC Sargent team were with us at every step, providing support, guidance and daily interaction not just for Harry but the whole family.

To enable CLIC Sargent to continue helping young people and families who find themselves going through this horrible nightmare that is cancer, the charity relies heavily on fundraising and donations from the general public.  Continuing my lifelong support and fundraising efforts, 2020 will see me take on the challenge of running the London Marathon, run fat boy run!!

Update - 8th January 2020

Sadly, Harry's cancer relapsed on New Year's Eve after being off treatment for twenty months.  As you can imagine, this has devastated our world, and there are no words that can describe how we are feeling. 

It’s been a difficult decision as to whether I should still run the marathon, but now more than ever, I want to raise awareness for CLIC Sargent and the fantastic work they do supporting young people fight cancer. 

I aim to raise £100 for every mile I run, but it would be fantastic to smash that target, no matter how small, any donation will enable CLIC Sargent to continue helping young people and families who find themselves going through the horrible nightmare that is cancer.

Update - 23rd September 2021

I have no words to explain everything that has happened since my last update in January 2020.

Four different hospitals, eight weeks in an induced coma, CAR-T Cell Therapy and hours and hours of intensive physiotherapy learning to walk, hold a pen and general everyday life skills which we all take for granted.  Harry has been through this with a smile on his face and has shown more strength and determination than I thought was possible.  

Harry still has regular hospital visits for immunotherapy and check-ups.  He started Year 5 in September; this is going to be Harry's year! 

Russell's Big 2020 Challenge started with the intention of just running the London Marathon, then the COVID pandemic hit.  Not wanting to walk away from the challenge, 4th October 2020 saw me run the virtual London Marathon in the pouring rain with no support.  If I'm honest, it was a truly miserable experience but nothing to what Harry has been through.

The pandemic has hit all charities hard.  Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent) have had to restructure while working hard to support families of children living with cancer.  With less staff and increased workload, they have effectively had to double their efforts during the pandemic.

So, to extend my 2020 challenge and support for Young Lives vs Cancer, I ran the Southampton Half Marathon on 5th September and will be taking the start line for the official London Marathon on 3rd October. 

Thank you in advance for your support.