As many of you know, on December 13th, 2005, Fiona and I lost our adored and beloved daughter, and only child, Theodora, in a tragic accident.  We miss her terribly and grieve her constantly.  Acceptance of our bereavement, even at a basic level, is a perpetual struggle.  We know that any future joy will be tarnished by her loss.

In honour of Theodora, my brother-in-law Rory MacLeay raised more than £20,000 for Richard House, a hospice in East London that provides loving care to terminally ill children (www.richardhouse.org.uk).  We have dedicated a bench to Theodora's memory in the garden at Richard House. 

To continue our support of Richard House, I will run the London Marathon on April 22nd.  This will be my first marathon at age 41.  My recent training runs have convinced me that merely finishing the marathon is a sufficient challenge, regardless of the final time!   

Thanks to the generosity of our friends, Fiona and I have already made a significant donation to Richard House.   I ask you again to support this highly worthwhile cause.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to donate: Richard House Trust will receive your money electronically and, if you are an UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in Gift Aid will be added to your donation at no cost to you.  For US taxpayers I am hoping to provide a way to make your donation tax deductible.  I will forward details as soon as possible.

Thanks in advance for your support,

Chris

*****9 April 2007 UPDATE*****

US Taxpayers - apologies for the delay in updating this information.

For those who have so kindly sponsored me already, please email Teresa Fitzgerald at Richard House (teresaf@richardhouse.org.uk) and she will send you details of their reciprocal arrangement with CAF America which will enable to obtain your US tax deduction.

For those who still wish to sponsor me, please email Teresa at the above address or me (at chrisdrmc@aol.com) and we will send you the necessary paperwork.

Apologies for the admin burden.