My Story

Hi everyone

Thank you so much for clicking through to my fundraising page - I truly appreciate it.

On Sunday 26th April 2026 I will be running in the iconic London Marathon. This is going to be a huge physical and mental challenge for me, but I’m proud to be running for a charity that is very close to my heart - Julia’s House.

Julia’s House is not a typical children’s hospice. They provide practical and emotional support for families caring for a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition, providing frequent and regular support in their own homes, in the community, or at their hospices.

They receive very little funding from the government, so the vast majority of their fundraising happens through events such as these, so thank you, thank you, thank you for being here. 

Julia’s House have helped my friends Gemma and Keith, and their son Finley. Their story is below, with details of the vital support they’ve been provided.

I will be running the 26.2 miles (and all the wet, wintery training sessions beforehand!) with them in mind, as well as all the other children and families that Julia’s House supports, and hope that I can play a small part in raising money for this wonderful charity.

I’d be so grateful for any donations, no matter how small, to help fund the amazing work they do. Your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate a lot or a little. Anything helps. Thank you.

Love, Rach xxxx

ps. Please keep checking back on this page - I'll post updates on how training is going.

Oh and if you’re in London on marathon day, give me a wave!

Gemma, Keith & Finley’s story

In 2020 Gemma and Keith were looking forward to becoming parents for the first time. They excitedly went to their 20-week scan, hoping to find out if they were due to have a little boy or girl. However, they experienced every parent’s worst nightmare when the sonographer said that something was wrong.

They were told that there appeared to be a mass at the baby’s neck. After an agonising wait, their baby, Finley, was diagnosed with Lymphangioma. Lymphangioma is a malformation of the lymphatic system. Cysts are formed when lymph fluid backs up and doesn’t flow normally through tissues, so it collects in one place and forms cysts. The exact cause is unknown and there is no cure, with the cysts often becoming more noticeable with age.

Gemma and Keith were told that Finley might look like he had something akin to a double chin, but when he was born the cyst was much more physically extensive than they had thought. He had to be resuscitated straight away and was taken to the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit. He was in hospital for 6 months. During that time he had to have numerous general anaesthetics and surgeries to help him to breathe. Ultimately, it resulted in him having to have a tracheostomy and it is this that officially classes Finley as disabled.

Finally being able to bring Finley home was exciting but also overwhelming. Finley’s physical differences and his tracheostomy present untold challenges, from the constant risk of infection, to the worry of what challenges he may face as he grows up.

Despite all of this Finley came on leaps and bounds and he started attending mainstream nursery at age 3. However one evening out of the blue Finley suffered a massive seizure. He was readmitted to hospital and an MRI showed he sadly had extensive bilateral brain damage. As a result, Finley lost all of those skills he had learned since birth and was also diagnosed with a form of epilepsy. As Gemma states in her blog, Finley is having to be ‘the boy that learned everything twice’. He is showing such courage and determination, as are Gemma and Keith in never accepting limitations for their little boy. In a matter of months Finley is already managing to achieve things doctors didn’t believe would be possible.

Julia’s House has been a lifeline for Gemma, Keith and Finley. It provides so many different types of support - not just for the children, but for parents too. Finley benefits from community sits where nurses and carers come to his home, but also hospice visits where he gets to interact with other children. It also gives parents the opportunity to meet other parents in similar positions. Julia’s House offers parents complementary therapies, as well as allowing them to take a bit of time out for themselves, to help them reconnect and recharge, so they are in the best space themselves to be able to care for their child. Julia’s House has also provided practical support with everything from gaining Finley’s Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to counselling for Gemma and Keith, to help them to come to terms with the mental health impact of the first years of Finley’s life. Julia’s House is always their first port of call for anything and it’s why it is so important to me to help continue to fund their amazing work. In Gemma’s own words:

“The support Julia’s House provides is taken into consideration by the local Integrated Care Board who approve your care package – that’s how important their care is. There are just so many aspects to their care and support. I feel like it doesn’t matter what kind of person you are as a parent as every family is different, but there is something for you. I can’t think of another charity or organisation that offers the same.  Of course, they are there for the children and what they are offered is just incredible, but it’s supporting the families around the children too, so they are in the best place to care.”