My Story

The personal bit - If you're reading this it's likely you know Chase (my eldest biological child) was born with clubfoot in 2020. Finding out at 16 weeks pregnant (at a private scan), during a pandemic, I was petrified, didn't know what to expect and feared for his future. At our routine 20 week scan it was confirmed, it looked severe and both feet were effected. He also had dilated kidneys at this point and these 2 combined caused concerns regarding possible Syndromes so off we went to Fetal Medicine for further testing. These tests came back negative, it was just the Clubfoot we had to tackle. We received support through Steps, spent hours on the website researching and now, at the end of his journey, spend time every evening doing the strong and stretchy video on YouTube, made by Steps Charity. Now Chase has finished his treatment I want to give something back and what better way than to run the London Marathon. I want to celebrate our achievements and put myself through something that will ultimately test me on every level. If he can go through his treatment for the last 5 years I will make sure I do this for him and for every child born with a lower limb condition. I don't know what our future holds for Chase, will he relapse, will he need surgery.. who knows but one thing I do know is I'm going to make him proud by finishing this race and know I've made a difference to other lives with the money we raise.

thank you all! Lots of love xxxx

This is the background and history of Steps Charity:

Steps was founded in 1980 by Sue Banton in the United Kingdom. Sue’s son Daniel was born with clubfoot and, at that time, there was limited support and medical options for families affected by the condition. She was determined to change this, not only for herself but for all the families and individuals facing the same challenges. Forty years on, her legacy is still very much alive and is reaching countries all over the world.

Every day thousands of children are affected by a serious lower limb condition. These leg, hip, toe conditions vary in their symptoms, frequency and prognosis. But without the correct diagnosis, treatment and support, it would be impossible for any of these children to walk properly later in life. We have created a model of true local sustainability. We partner with health national systems and communities around the world not only to raise the medical standards, care and emotional support –  but to establish them! The support we provide is elevating the standards of care around the world, giving a change to everybody to walk without pain. As we like to say here at Steps, we don’t take walking for granted.