Running, running, running

The beginning 

On the 28 January 2016 our lives changed forever. On 28 January 2016 everything changed for our family and friends. On 28 January 2016 our 10 year old son, Felix was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Fast forward seven years and our son is now 17 and doing everything he should be doing. He is studying his A Levels to pursue a career in education, he’s taking driving lessons to gain another step towards independence and enjoying the freedom of being a teen. Looking at him you would not know what he endured for 1184 days. 

The memories of what our young, innocent son went through to get to where he is now are still raw. The pain, the anguish, the distress of countless rounds of chemotherapy, the lumbar punctures and the hospital stays – these memories still trigger my emotions. That feeling of helplessness as he struggled with the pain and the emotional impact of the treatment will stay with me forever. 

Making memories

With the constant hospital stays and emergency admissions, our other two children were always at the forefront of our minds as well. They had to get used to the separation from their brother and parents, they saw and heard things in the oncology ward that no child should experience but they needed to see each other, they had to try to comprehend the fact that their brother had cancer. At the time they were age seven and eleven. Their lives had changed as well. 

Throughout everything there was one charity who supported us through the good and the tough times. They offered us respite through wonderful experiences that we could not access on our own or fund. These are the memories that Felix has of this time in his life. He doesn’t remember the emergency admission during the treatment but does remember going to Wembley in a VIP box to watch the FA Cup final. This is why we are so grateful to Children with Cancer UK – they helped change his focus to the positive, the future and the kindness of others.

Marathon buzz

It is now time for me to give something back. In 2022, I ran the TCS London Marathon to raise funds and awareness for Children with Cancer UK so that I could, in a way, help families who found themselves in the same place as us. 

As the post-marathon buzz died down I realised that I couldn’t stop there. So I had run a marathon and raised some funds but why stop there? So, on a cold dark November evening I made it my lifetime mission to raise as much money as I can for Children with Cancer UK.

So, here we are

I’m preparing for the TCS London Marathon on Sunday 23 April 2023. I am exhausted and constantly hungry but I’m doing it. The long runs are the hardest. When it gets tough my mind automatically turns to the children who are suffering in a hospital bed or at home; isolated from their friends, their family, their childhood. It turns to the parents who would love nothing more than not to be in hospital. It turns to their siblings, their grandparents, their friends all suffering because of a diagnosis of childhood cancer.  

For more information about my son’s diagnosis and my fundraising mission, please feel free to visit my JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kerry-brown2023
Kerry, April 2023