In September 2024, my brother Kyran spent his final week at Pilgrims Hospices in Canterbury after a courageous journey with Stage 4 metastatic bowel cancer, which he was diagnosed with over the 2020/2021 Christmas and New Year period. He was just 36 years old when he passed away.

Although his time at Pilgrims was short, the care Kyran received was nothing short of extraordinary. The staff and volunteers provided him with comfort, dignity, and compassion during one of the most difficult weeks of our lives. Nothing was ever too much trouble - every need was met with kindness, patience, and warmth.

Kyran never stopped talking about the delicious food he was provided at meal times, and he found real joy in joking with the nurses, doctors, and volunteers. The massages he received helped ease his pain, and small gestures like these made a huge difference in his final days. It gave us peace knowing he was being so well looked after.

Pilgrims didn’t just care for Kyran - they cared for all of us. His family was welcomed at any hour, day or night. Staff provided toys for his children to play with during visits and made space for family meals in the shared dining area. To his children, the hospice became affectionately known as the “house-pital” because it felt like a second home.

Running the London Marathon in his memory is an honour - and a chance to give something back to the organisation that gave so much to us when we needed it most. Supporting Pilgrims Hospices means helping ensure other families can experience the same level of care, dignity, and compassion in their most vulnerable moments.