Lotties fight

Hi my name is Olivia, and

ive signed up to run the Wigan 10k, but this isn’t just about running. It’s about my little sister Lottie — and the strength she’s shown since the day everything changed.

Not long ago, Lottie was just like any other energetic, happy little girl. But then she started feeling tired all the time, stopped eating, was constantly thirsty, and became so quiet — completely unlike her. We knew something wasn’t right.

That night turned into a nightmare. She was rushed to hospital, and within hours we heard the words no one is ever prepared for:

“She has Type 1 Diabetes. Her pancreas has stopped working. It will never work again.”

Her blood sugar levels were dangerously high. She was admitted straight into the high dependency unit. And just like that, life was different. Forever.

Since then, Lottie’s days have been filled with insulin injections, finger pricks, blood tests, counting carbs before every meal, and adjusting insulin based on her sugar levels. She doesn’t get a break. There’s no holiday from Type 1. It’s 24/7. It’s exhausting. It’s overwhelming. And it’s scary.

But somehow, she smiles through it.

She takes it all in her stride. She’s learnt more about her body in months than most of us learn in years. She’s handled the pain, the confusion, the fear — and she’s done it with courage beyond her years. She is truly the strongest person I know.

So I’m running the Wigan 10k for her.

To honour everything she’s faced and continues to face.

To raise money for Diabetes UK, who support families like ours, fund research that could change lives, and fight for better care and awareness.

Because Lottie deserves a future where this condition doesn’t control her life.

She deserves hope. And so do millions of others living with Type 1.

I’m asking from the bottom of my heart — if you can donate anything at all, even just £1, it would mean the world to me and my family. Every single penny helps this incredible charity keep doing their life-saving work.

I can raise money for Diabetes UK — to fund better treatment, support families like mine, and push for a future where maybe one day, this disease doesn’t destroy so many childhoods.

If you’ve ever loved someone so much it hurt — if you’ve ever watched someone you care about suffer and felt completely powerless — then please, I’m asking you:

Donate. Even £1 makes a difference.

Share. Help me tell her story.

Care. Because Type 1 never sleeps, and neither do the families fighting.

For Lottie. For every child who didn’t choose this fight.