On 24 December 2023 my sister in law Amy passed away after a prolonged battle with illness.

She suffered specifically with Colitis and a lot of money has already been raised in her memory for this cause. However the official cause of death was Sepsis and there was a feeling within the family that raising money and awareness of Sepsis was something that needed to be done.

On 22 December 2024 I'll be running the Portsmouth Coastal Marathon to try and do that.

Please click the link to read more about Sepsis https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sepsis/ but the below are possible symptoms of sepsis and when you should call 999, read these if you read nothing else. I hope not, but one day you might need to know.

1. Acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense

2. Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet

3. A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis

4. Difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast

5. Feels very unwell or like there's something seriously wrong

6. Has not had a pee all day (for adults and older children) or in the last 12 hours (for babies and young children)

7. Keeps vomiting and cannot keep any food or milk down (for babies and young children)

8. Has swelling or pain around a cut or wound

9. Has a very high or low temperature, feels hot or cold to the touch, or is shivering

What happened to Amy was a tragedy, the impact of which will never not be felt within our family. I've spent a lot of time thinking about what to write here but I regularly tell Grace, focus on the good things that happened and be grateful that you got the chance to have them, so I'm going to take my own advice and just ask you to please give generously for this cause.

On a completely personal note, I've massively overreached myself here trying to run a marathon. I have a training plan and I'm sticking to it but every penny you give here will make me more stubborn to finish this so I would be very grateful for it.

Fundraising is at the heart of our fight against sepsis.

It raises awareness, and sparks the question: “What is sepsis? In this way, fundraising can help prevent thousands of deaths & unnecessary suffering through knowledge & awareness of the symptoms.

It also funds our vital support work, Public Awareness, Educating Health Professionals & helping people adjust to life after sepsis through accessing our Support Group network. We also lobby government to support our cause and makes vital changes in areas such as the NHS.