In October 2022 Mike’s care at St Richard’s Hospice began, the team took such great care of him and our family for the weeks that followed.

Earlier in the year Mike had a sudden accident, which caused a significant brain injury and coma, he stayed in an intensive care unit far from home for many months with his family, Beth and Elly, around him. Sadly his condition deteriorated further and the time came where end of life care was the only option. Closer to his home in Herefordshire, the chance to have Mike’s final days in St Richard’s Hospice became possible.

The care, kindness and respect Mike, Beth, Elly and myself were all shown by the team at St Richard’s will last in our hearts forever.

There are countless moments to choose from to show what the team there means to us, but one in particular would be when we arrived to find the windows and patio doors of his room open. When we asked about it, the nurse had said that there had been a brass band performing in the garden and they had wanted him to hear the music being played. They saw Mike as Mike. Not as a patient in a bed in a coma, but as a person, a friend, a father and loved one. This really helped comfort things when everything had been so dark for so long.

Throughout the time of Mike’s accident, illness and passing I’ve found running as a great way to help me deal with everything and I feel extremely lucky to be selected to run The London Marathon for St Richard’s hospice. I’ve never run a Marathon but I’m excited for the challenge and to help raise money to support the fantastic and life changing work they do.

St Richard’s is a small hospice charity where a little goes a long way. Please help me in raising as much as I can for them.