As a teenager my family and I experienced the devastating loss of my Mam. When I was 14 years old, she fell suddenly ill and required emergency medical assistance. This resulted in her being taken to hospital where she was placed in intensive care. Despite the medical attention she received, she sadly did not recover and remained in a vegetative state for several years before passing away in 2011.

Although we were always hopeful for a miracle through these years, looking back it was clear to see that grief doesn’t just arrive when a loved one has passed but can manifest in many ways, often in ways that are difficult for anyone, including myself, to fully understand.

Sharing mine and my family’s story isn’t very easy for me as I have always been quite private about my mam’s condition and passing, and whilst I do love to talk about all the amazing things about her, the feelings of grief are just as raw all these years later.

The reason I have done so now is because in hindsight, I realise how crucial it would have been to have an organisation like Child Bereavement UK available to me at that time. The support, understanding, and guidance the charity provides to children and families dealing with the loss of a loved one can make an immeasurable difference in their healing process.

CBUK also supports parents through the unimaginable loss of a child and their mission to ensure every family has access to the best possible support whether they are growing up without a parent or have suffered the loss of a child is something I want to show support for in any way possible.

Which leads me to the London Marathon. For those that know me, I am not a runner, and I will always opt for an uber over a 20-minute walk somewhere. I have barely completed 5K’s up to this point, so the London Marathon felt like the ultimate challenge to take on to raise funds for Child Bereavement UK.

I'd appreciate any support you are able to give to help shape a child or parent’s future for the better and to make sure I don’t wuss out when my knees start hurting x