“My mum, Charlotte Smith, passed away in May 2022 aged 48 after a very short but tough battle with Stage 4 bowel cancer.

She was diagnosed in late March 2022, and then passed away less than two months later.

During the last week of her life, the nurses at Severn Hospice went above and beyond to care for not just my mum, but our whole family.

They came to our home and made mum as comfortable as she could be and taking the pressure off us as a family. From the twice daily visits, night stays, and even just there for a shoulder to cry on.

They helped me through the worst time of my life and the least I could do is raise as much money as possible in memory of my mum, but also to help such a great charity who truly go above and beyond.

If you had asked me a year ago if I would be running the London Marathon in only a few months, I would not have even entertained the idea. What made me change my mind was the idea of achieving something astounding whilst raising money for a charity that I now have personal connections with.

I’ve never really done much running apart from completing the odd 5k and 10k fun runs, so I knew it was going to be a challenge from the start.

I’ve had a lot of support from my friends and family who have been joining me on runs and boosting morale when needed.

My main challenge so far is the actual distance of 26.2 miles! I’ve increased my distance week by week to ensure I can complete the distance.

I chose to put myself forward for the London Marathon on behalf of Severn Hospice because I wanted to do something memorable whilst raising money for a fantastic charity.”

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