A Pudsey woman will be pounding the 26.2 miles around London to help raise funds for blood cancer charity, Leukaemia Care – a cause very close to her and her family.
Hannah Black’s mother Janine, 60, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in 2019.
Running the London Marathon is something 24-year-old Hannah, a recently qualified vet, has wanted to do for a very long time.
She now has the opportunity to do just that, and give something back. She said: “Running the London Marathon is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time – it’s an amazing opportunity and will be such an achievement.
“’I’ve been wanting to raise money for Leukaemia Care because they truly made a big difference to me and my mum during her illness.
“It helps so many people and I really believe the work they do makes such a difference. Leukaemia is such a devastating disease and I really want to help find more treatments and support individuals and those affected by it as much as I can.”
Nearly 10,000 people are diagnosed with leukaemia every year in the UK, that’s 27 people every day. Leukaemia Care exists to support patients and families through diagnosis, treatment and beyond.
Colin Dyer, CEO for Leukaemia Care, said: “Hannah, and the thousands of runners like her, put in a colossal effort just to reach the start line and we commend each and every one of them.
“Everyone has a story where they, or someone very close to them, have been affected by setbacks and challenges. At Leukaemia Care we work tirelessly to help improve diagnosis and detection, and support those impacted by leukaemia.
“To do that, we need people like Hannah who selflessly face this challenge head on and raise vital funds to enable us to be there for the people who need us the most.”
This will be Hannah’s first Marathon, and she is keen to pay back the charity that not only supported Janine, but also helped with money towards transport when Hannah was travelling home from Nottingham University for visits, and provided financial support towards funding for a private counsellor.
Hannah, who’s well on her way to achieving her fundraising target of £2,300, added: “Mum had a ‘celebration of life’ party which helped raise some money and my work has been good by displaying my fundraising page at reception.
“I’m excited to see other people who have been helped by Leukaemia Care and also in meeting other family members who have been affected. I’ll definitely celebrate with a huge meal and lots of chocolate with my mum.
“I’m very nervous, but I can’t wait to cross the finish line. I want to make my mum proud.”
To help raise funds for Leukaemia Care, and support Hannah, visit her Just Giving page.
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