My Story

As a born and bred proud (running) Londoner I have always wanted to run The London Marathon, however I have never been successful in the ballot and thought taking up a fundraising charity place too duanting. The pressure of raising such a large sum of money seems more frightening then running a mararthon to me.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of my running group Coffee Run and probably my 10th ballot rejection (there are only so many marathon consolation tops you can fit in your closet) therefore the timing seemed right to finally apply for a charity place, choosing a charity close to my heart The Lily Foundation.

Martin Flannery part of my extended family (my sisters brother in law) should be turning 50 this September, unfortunately he died in 2019 aged 46, due to mitochondrial disease.

Mitochondrial disease, or 'mito', is the term given to a group of medical disorders caused by mutations in mitochondria, the tiny organelles that are present in nearly every cell in our bodies and which generate about 90% of the energy we need to live. Cells cannot function properly without healthy mitochondria, so when they fail the consequences can be serious and wide-ranging.

Mitochondrial diseases affect people in multiple ways, depending on which cells are affected. This can make the condition hard to diagnose, as symptoms often resemble those of other serious illnesses. For example, a person with mitochondrial disease may suffer from seizures, fatigue, vision and hearing loss, cognitive disabilities, respiratory problems or poor growth. Any of the body's organs and systems can be affected including the brain, heart, lungs, gut, liver and skin.

Its a genetic disease and we have since found out that my brother in law is living with it.

As it is such a varied and wide ranging disease more research is needed and hence that is why fundraising is needed.

The Lily Foundation is Supporting new medical research which is vital if we are going to find effective treatments to help people with mitochondrial diseases. They rely solely on donations in order to fund the research, and it's entirely thanks to the continued generosity of supporters that they have been able to fund 14 research projects to date. But they want to do more. Please help to keep making mitochondrial disease a priority for cutting-edge research, and donate today.

Thank you so much for your support.