My Story

On 23rd April 2023, I will be running (and hopefully finishing!) 26.2 miles in the London Marathon (ahhh!) to raise money for JDRF, a charity which funds type 1 diabetes research. As many of you may know, my brother, Ed, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2015, aged 13.

JDRF is the type 1 diabetes charity and a funder of world-class medical research to cure, prevent and treat type 1 diabetes. It is their mission to eradicate type 1 diabetes. 

Type 1 diabetes isn’t caused by poor diet or an unhealthy lifestyle. In fact, it is caused by an autoimmune condition, so there is nothing you can currently do to prevent it.

People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin in order to stay alive. This means undergoing a minimum of four injections a day, or having insulin delivered through an insulin pump, and testing their blood sugar. People with diabetes must also carefully balance their food intake and their exercise to regulate their blood sugar levels, in an attempt to avoid hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemic (high blood sugar) reactions, which can be life threatening. 

There is currently no cure for type one diabetes, and no way to replace these destroyed cells, making the person reliant on lifelong insulin injections. However, there is an upside to every story, as it is highly likely that a cure for Type 1 diabetes will be found within the next 50 years, and therefore, not only within the lifetimes of thousands of children suffering from Type 1 diabetes, but also in the lifetimes of many of the now adults sufferers, like Ed.

All the money I raise will go straight to JDRF to fund their research. If you feel able to donate to this amazing cause, any donations would be hugely appreciated!!