My best friend Gabbi is one of the strongest people I have ever known.

Not long ago, she was running across the moors almost every day — sometimes 13 miles a day! Running was her freedom, her joy, and her way of coping with the harder bits of life.

A few years ago, Gabbi’s world shattered when she and her husband lost their beautiful daughter, Thea, to a rare genetic condition called Niemann-Pick Type A. No parent should ever have to bury their child. The grief she carried was unimaginable, yet she still found the strength to keep going for her family — and especially for her son, Calvin.

Out of that heartbreak, Gabbi chose compassion. She created Iris Family Support (https://irisfamilysupport.org/

) to help families caring for children with complex and life-limiting conditions — offering guidance, comfort, and understanding when families feel completely alone. She continued to support other families even as her own health began to decline.

Then, in November, everything changed again.

At only 40 years old, Gabbi was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic cancer. She had no idea she even had cancer — the primary tumour was unknown. The diagnosis came suddenly and devastatingly. It is not curable.

Her health has declined at a terrifying speed. The woman who once ran freely across open moorland is now unable to walk and relies on a mobility scooter or wheelchair.

On 10th May, I wil be running the Leeds Half Marathon for my best friend Gabbi. Because running means so much to Gabbi, I am running a half marathon in her honour — to turn every mile into support for her and her family. This run is for Gabbi, for her strength, and for the life she has always lived putting others first. I will run for her when she cannot.

We are raising money to help support Gabbi and her family during this unimaginable time.

The funds raised will help with:

Gabbi has spent her life giving — even while grieving her own child, she showed up for other families in their darkest moments. Now she needs that kindness returned.

If you are able to donate, no matter how small, it would mean everything. And if you cannot donate, please consider sharing this page so her story can reach others.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for helping surround this family with love during the hardest chapter of their lives.

❤️