Running the London Marathon for Mum and Ella 💕
Sarah Wilton-Rhead
My Story
In July 2017 Mum, Wendy, was diagnosed with brain cancer. Mum was 61 and had recently retired after 40 years working as a Primary school teacher. Mum was so excited for her retirement and had so little time to enjoy it.
Mum was fit, healthy and active until her diagnosis. She had been looking after Berry and Sally several days a week to support my return to work. I'm so grateful she got this small window of time with baby Sally. After showing some worrying confusion Mum saw a GP who immediately sent her to hospital where she had a CT scan. The scan showed several tumours in her brain. From the initial trip to the GP and onwards to the hospital Mum never came home. Following diagnosis she only lived for 10 weeks. Her brain cancer was such an aggressive form of Glioblastoma no treatment was available to her. She never returned home to her beloved home and garden and that broke my heart.
In the early stages of diagnosis I assured Mum there would be some sort of treatment. It came as the most devastating news to find there was nothing they could do for Mum. I could not believe that there could be such a bleak prognosis.
Mum's decline over the next ten weeks before her death was rapid. She quickly lost mobility, her ability to read and write and communicate. Thankfully she didn't lose her love for Abba gold which I played to her often.
Mum loved being a Mama and was so excited to spend more time with her grandchildren Evie, Berry, Ernie and Sally. It breaks our hearts she has not been able to see them grow up.
Devastatingly in January 2020 beautiful 4 year old Ella, daughter of our friends and neighbours Ness and Sam, was also diagnosed with high grade brain cancer. Despite surgery and treatment Ella only lived for 10 months after diagnosis. Ella leaves an enormous hole in the lives of her loved ones.
My reason for running the London Marathon is to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity. The Brain Tumour Charity are the leading funder of brain tumour research in the UK commiting over £50 million pounds to pioneering projects that help adults and children with brain cancer. Without this research those like Mum and Ella face the most heartbreaking prognosis. Brain tumours continue to kill more children and adults than any other cancers. Brain cancer research has seen little progress in the last 25 years, something Tessa Jowell (MP) and Tom Parker (musician) raised awareness around following their own diagnosis.
I am not an experienced runner and will be training slowly but surely to complete this event on April 26th 2026. Mum, Ella and all those others effected by brain cancer will be in my thoughts on every run.
Whatever you can give will be greatly appreciated,
Sarah xxx
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Sally's mini marathon
Sally wanted to support my fundraising by running her own mini marathon. When Sally asked how far a marathon was (26.2 miles!) Sally set herself a goal of running 6.2 miles. She's only 10 and has little legs but she has is the most determined and kind girl who always wants to help others ♥️
A week before we head to London for the marathon Sally has achieved her goal and ran my last Saturday run with me and ran 6.21 miles to be precise!
We are so proud of her and she would be grateful for any support with her fundraising in memory of her Mama and Ella
A video of her running can be found here: https://youtube.com/shorts/TVzxb26d3jg?si=uyO_hrzwGm_iwS8c
xxx
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Target
£3,000
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Raised so far
£6,097
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Number of donors
161
My Story
In July 2017 Mum, Wendy, was diagnosed with brain cancer. Mum was 61 and had recently retired after 40 years working as a Primary school teacher. Mum was so excited for her retirement and had so little time to enjoy it.
Mum was fit, healthy and active until her diagnosis. She had been looking after Berry and Sally several days a week to support my return to work. I'm so grateful she got this small window of time with baby Sally. After showing some worrying confusion Mum saw a GP who immediately sent her to hospital where she had a CT scan. The scan showed several tumours in her brain. From the initial trip to the GP and onwards to the hospital Mum never came home. Following diagnosis she only lived for 10 weeks. Her brain cancer was such an aggressive form of Glioblastoma no treatment was available to her. She never returned home to her beloved home and garden and that broke my heart.
In the early stages of diagnosis I assured Mum there would be some sort of treatment. It came as the most devastating news to find there was nothing they could do for Mum. I could not believe that there could be such a bleak prognosis.
Mum's decline over the next ten weeks before her death was rapid. She quickly lost mobility, her ability to read and write and communicate. Thankfully she didn't lose her love for Abba gold which I played to her often.
Mum loved being a Mama and was so excited to spend more time with her grandchildren Evie, Berry, Ernie and Sally. It breaks our hearts she has not been able to see them grow up.
Devastatingly in January 2020 beautiful 4 year old Ella, daughter of our friends and neighbours Ness and Sam, was also diagnosed with high grade brain cancer. Despite surgery and treatment Ella only lived for 10 months after diagnosis. Ella leaves an enormous hole in the lives of her loved ones.
My reason for running the London Marathon is to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity. The Brain Tumour Charity are the leading funder of brain tumour research in the UK commiting over £50 million pounds to pioneering projects that help adults and children with brain cancer. Without this research those like Mum and Ella face the most heartbreaking prognosis. Brain tumours continue to kill more children and adults than any other cancers. Brain cancer research has seen little progress in the last 25 years, something Tessa Jowell (MP) and Tom Parker (musician) raised awareness around following their own diagnosis.
I am not an experienced runner and will be training slowly but surely to complete this event on April 26th 2026. Mum, Ella and all those others effected by brain cancer will be in my thoughts on every run.
Whatever you can give will be greatly appreciated,
Sarah xxx
----------------------------------------------
Sally's mini marathon
Sally wanted to support my fundraising by running her own mini marathon. When Sally asked how far a marathon was (26.2 miles!) Sally set herself a goal of running 6.2 miles. She's only 10 and has little legs but she has is the most determined and kind girl who always wants to help others ♥️
A week before we head to London for the marathon Sally has achieved her goal and ran my last Saturday run with me and ran 6.21 miles to be precise!
We are so proud of her and she would be grateful for any support with her fundraising in memory of her Mama and Ella
A video of her running can be found here: https://youtube.com/shorts/TVzxb26d3jg?si=uyO_hrzwGm_iwS8c
xxx
