Helen here, this December I’ll be running 10 km every single day, rain or shine, frost or storm. No excuses, and the reason I’m doing it is for Oscar.

Most of you will recognise Oscar from my stories of him and Jake. He is Jakes best friend and the two are inseparable.

Oscar is just 5 years old. He’s kind, funny, and full of life. But this summer his family received news no parent should ever get. Oscar has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a rare and progressive muscle wasting disease.

This horrendous disease will slowly steal oscars ability to move, breathe, and eventually without help live independently.

He may look and act just like any other child. But inside his muscles, a critical protein called dystrophin is missing. Without it, his muscle cells break down faster than his body can repair them. As he grows, simple things become harder, such as running, climbing stairs, getting up from the floor. As the disease progresses, the muscles that help him lift his arms, breathe deeply, and keep his heart strong also weaken. Duchenne is relentlessly progressive, and right now, it is still fatal.

So every day this December, I’ll be running, 10k for Oscar. Thirty one days, 310 kilometres, and one big goal, to raise awareness and money to support the Hassay family with everything they are going to face.

Please support me if you can by donating, sharing, and following along. Every step counts, and every pound raised helps Oscar’s family and the vital research that could help change his future.