On the 20th August 2020, my best mate Alex Caldwell lost a 15-year struggle with an immune disorder which saw him battle through a liver transplant, bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy.

Before he passed, Alex raised over £4,000 for Anthony Nolan, an incredible charity which matches bone marrow donors to people in need of lifesaving transplants. They were the ones who matched him with a bone marrow donor and helped us have him for a little longer.

With this in mind, Lucy Downes and I have been accepted into Anthony Nolan's 2025 London Marathon team and will be running in memory of Alex, all the while raising funds for this amazing charity.

We were both part of a large group of Cardiff University friends (Team Caldy!) which ran the Cardiff Half Marathon in 2022 and we all raised a total of £11,762 for Anthony Nolan. This was our collective way to express our gratitude to this amazing charity which helps many families, and saves numerous lives every year. We would now love to add on to that amount...

By joining the Anthony Nolan team for the 2025 London Marathon, we have pledged to raise £2,000 each ahead of the race on the 27th April 2025.

As Alex himself put it: ''Any donations are welcome no matter how small - for a cause that’s so close to my heart.''

Thank you all for reading, much love,

Marielle Wilkinson x

About Anthony Nolan:

''Anthony Nolan’s world-leading stem cell register, groundbreaking cell and gene therapy research and expertise in stem cell transplants means we currently help four patients a day in need of a transplant, giving more people another chance to live. But we know we can, and must, do more. Driven by patients, backed by stem cell donors, powered by science, and with your support, we won’t stop until we’ve uncovered the lifesaving potential of the cells inside us all, and every patient can survive and thrive.''

PLEASE GO TO @mariellesraffle ON INSTAGRAM FOR ANY INFO REGARDING THE RAFFLE THAT I AM DOING TO RAISE MORE FUNDS :)

FOR EVERY £1 DONATED, YOU GET 1 ENTRY