My Story

Hello! I am Francesca, I have chosen to run the London Marathon for a charity that is very close to me.

At the age of 4 I was diagnosed as having bilateral moderate hearing loss. Since then I have worn hearing aids and read peoples lips to communicate effectively with those around me.

It was around this age that I first got in contact with the National Deaf Children's Society. Their vision is a world without barriers for every deaf child and I can first hand say that their support made a major difference in my life.

This included applying for Disabled Living Allowance, Sign Language lessons, advice on additional equipment for support at home, hosting events to connect families and consistent support via a helpline.

As a child, some of the most memorable support was meeting other children in similar situations to me. I remember winning a competition where I had to draw myself as a football player and then got to go and see an Arsenal football game with other deaf children. I know for my parents that meeting other families was helpful and let them know they were not alone.

For my parents, the advice and knowledge from the National Deaf Children's Society when I was a young child was extremely useful - especially as not only was I their first child, but their only child who was deaf.

Being deaf can be very isolating sometimes, and so to know that there is consistent support from the National Deaf Children's Society is overwhelming. I am always grateful for this and that is why I have decided to run the marathon for them!

I will be training over the next few months and would appreciate any donation that you can give, however big or small. If you would like to read more about the National Deaf Children's Society - please see their page here.

Thank you for taking the time to check my page :)