In January 2013 I was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia. It's a day in my life that I will never forget and, honestly, one that was extremely difficult. We had already lost my Dad to Cancer in 2006, so the guilt I felt for putting my family through it all again was overwhelming. I was lucky though, I was being treated by an amazing team of Dr's, nurses and other hospital staff who always gave me every reason to be positive about the outcome and the care I received throughout was second to none! They do such a fantastic job and I owe them so much. Several of the team who are running the Birmingham half, including my Consultant, were directly involved in my treatment, recovery and continued monitoring and I will always be extremely grateful to them. I am also very lucky to have an amazing family and wonderful friends in my life. They were there for me whenever I needed them and I don't think I will ever be able to explain to them how grateful I am for their love and support and how much they helped me. 

 It was a poignant time when I was asked to join the team for the Birmingham half, as I'd just had my final (hopefully) bone marrow to monitor my condition (think I had about 17 in total). The results were clear and so, for me, meant that I was three years in remission. It definitely felt like the right time to try and give something back to the people who helped me and, in turn, hope that they can continue to help others. By running I'm hoping we can raise a lot of money for this brilliant cause and go some way to providing hope to the many patients who are diagnosed with Leukaemia. I'm one of the lucky ones, I know that. I know completing the race will be a challenge, but it's nothing compared to the challenge many patients face every day in their battle with this disease.