I noticed something wasn't quite right whilst out running with my girlfriends. I started getting more and more tired and had difficulty in breathing and within a couple of weeks I was unable to make it to the end of my road.

I started having tests and was quite quickly told that I had Myelodysplasticsyndrome (MDS) - a life-limiting and fatal form of Leukaemia.

Whilst I was slowly getting my head around this, my condition suddenly deteriorated further and I entered a dangerous phase : Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) whereby I needed a life saving stem cell transplant to remain alive.

Whilst this was frightening, it also offered a remarkable chance of a cure : if a donor could be found and I could survive a stem cell transplant it could offer me a second chance at life .... scary but also it was a miraculous opportunity.

Anthony Nolan soon found a perfect match donor for me and I had the transplant in April 2022 which has been a huge success.

My donor is young and she rose to the challenge and donated her stem cells as she said she would if ever someone needed them. I will get to meet her next year after I have run the marathon.

By running the London Marathon and organising lots of fundraising events I hope that I and my girlfriends can raise as much money as possible to help other people like me who need a transplant. Please donate what you can, no matter how small as it will all go toward helping people get their second chance at life. Thank you.