Hi, my name is Catherine and I will be running the London Marathon on Sunday the 26th of April.

I am running for a charity that is very close to mine and my family’s heart as well as my best friend who has incurable lung cancer.

Project Harar is a charity that supports children and families in Ethiopia with cleft lip and palate conditions. My late Aunt was a dedicated volunteer for Project Harar and was part of a team who made huge changes to children’s lives. As the charity expands their reach, funds are vital. This funding can provide access to surgery for the most underserved communities, as well as education and training for medical professionals in the treatment and diagnosis of cleft conditions.

The second cause I am running for is to raise money for unfunded cancer treatment to help my best friend.

Alice is living with cancer (adenocarcinoma). It’s rare and aggressive and in her lungs. The cancer can not be cured. It is being treated with targeted chemotherapy in the hope to give Alice many more years with her family.

Amongst many other roles, Alice is most importantly mum to two amazingly strong and wonderful girls, Lily and Anna. We have been friends for over 40yrs and this is the biggest challenge our friendship has faced.

Alice's diagnosis has meant she is not currently able to work full time - at a big financial stress on the family. Your donation offers hope that it may be possible to fund the inevitable costs of future UNFUNDED treatments (ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors - Lorlatinib).

Thank you for taking the time to read this and if you can spare anything to support both of these causes I will be truly grateful.