Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

My name is Steve and my youngest daughter is autistic and it has impacted on her life significantly over the past 3 years causing her to be hospitalised for the past 7 months- I am running the London Marathon to raise awareness but also much needed funds to support others like my daughter with autism 

It’s so important that my dad is running for autism UK, with my sister being hospitalised for 7 months due to ARFID an eating disorder I know that I hadn’t heard of until my sister was affected by it. ARFID stands for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. Someone with ARFID doesn’t eat enough calories for their bodies to work properly not because they are worried about body image but due to the sensitivity to the taste or texture or smell - sensory based, low interest in eating hence why it is common in autistic children. Due to her being miles away from home we have had to conform to the new normal which has been a huge struggle at times, but also what we know is best to hopefully help my sister improve. By fundraising, hopefully this increases awareness for autism which is a more complex disability then many people realise. Many families and individual people often feel alone and that there is insufficient support for them so these valuable donations will go towards supporting people’s needs being met, sufficient provision being put in place and more awareness for autism and how it affects people’s lives.

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.