Four years ago Ahnie scootered 400m to raise £400 on his fourth birthday for the Rennie Grove Pepper Nurses, specialist paediatric nurses and play workers providing specialist nursing care, play support, and respite visits for children with life-limiting illness and their families as part of a hospice at home service.

For our family they have remained the most consistent and present service throughout Ahnie’s complex health journey.

It took 6 years to get a diagnosis for Ahnie of mitochondrial disease and as devastating as this was our pepper nurses were there for us during that very difficult time and have remained by our side.

They offer liaison and support with Ahnie’s extensive medical team, as well as invaluable play support which enables him to make sense of himself and his his health challenges.

They have time for me as a parent to listen and emotionally support me on my journey as a parent, and never lose sight of us as a whole family.

In July this year we were able to attend a family weekend for families of children with mitochondrial disease and so many parents reflected on how difficult this journey would be without the support of their individual hospice nurses and teams.

So, Ahnie is now 8 and continues to be a true mito warrior so this year felt like a great year to raise some more money for our nurses and play workers.

In June I took on the couch to 5k challenge from a place of complete non runner in my 50’s and this will be my first fun run, Ahnie is going to buggy run with his brother Francis a successful marathon runner, and my daughters are also celebrating their own couch to 5k successes with this run.

So please, give us all a shout out and a sponsor for us. All funds go direct to Rennie Groves Peace.