It’s that time again….on 21st April , I will be running the London Marathon as a member of Acorns Children Hospice’s charity team.

Acorns offers specialist care to families with children who have either life-threatening or life-limiting conditions across three hospices in the West Midlands and South West.

The word ‘hospice’ can potentially conjure up images of not-so-nice, clinical settings. However, the reality couldn’t be further from the truth, especially in the case of Acorns. Their hospices provide happy, homely environments where children and families can enjoy all kinds of great activities, meet new friends or relax and enjoy some quiet time. Their wonderful staff are specially trained to provide complex medical care and children’s palliative care. They expertly take time to understand each child’s individual requirements, listen to any concerns and adapt activities according to their needs.

Fraser Lewis was born on 2nd July 1999. Fraser had some complex medical needs, often requiring skilled and experienced nurses and doctors to be on hand around the clock, which Acorns were able to provide.

Fraser was treated with love, dignity, and care by the teams at Acorns, where they supported Fraser’s physical needs, and provided a safe space for Lewis family, making sure that Corah and Hayden could enjoy time playing with their baby brother in the sensory room, and the hydrotherapy pool, and giving Guy and Sadie some respite from the round-the-clock care Fraser required, whilst also being able to enjoy time together, as a family. Fraser left us in December 1999, but the memories and experiences of Acorns are often shared with fondness and smiles by the Lewis family, and Fraser’s memory lives on in stories around the dinner table.

For any child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition, their family members are also hugely impacted. Acorns’ mission is to help these families feel equipped to cope at every stage of their child’s life with dedicated teams offering psychological, emotional and practical support.

It is a privilege to be able to support this fantastic charity in memory of such a special person, and knowing your donations will go on to help other families like my own will get me across that 26th mile. I thank you for taking the time to read this and to hopefully donate some of your hard-earned money to such a wonderful organisation.