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29-year-old Jake Atkinson from Knutsford is taking on the Manchester Marathon this Sunday (14 April 2024), along with his cousins Sam and Alex Holcroft, to raise money for The Christie Charity and to support Jake’s mum / their auntie.
Jake’s mum Adele Atkinson from Over Peover, Cheshire has recently been diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer, myelodysplasia, which was been a complete shock to the whole family and has turned their world upside down.
Jake decided he wanted to do something for The Christie hospital, where Adele is being treated, as he explains, “We wanted to raise funds for The Christie Charity so they can keep supporting others the way they have been doing with my mum. We want to show her that we are right next to her fighting this with her. We couldn’t get through this time without the incredible support that The Christie has given her and us as a family so far.
“The Christie is our only lifeline at the moment, and we couldn’t have got this far without their support. Myelodysplasia is such a hard form of cancer to tackle, so it’s important that The Christie is constantly supported to ensure the research is constant and moving forward. The Christie staff are doing all they can to get Mum on a trial - it is the only hospital in the UK able to run this trial and we’re so lucky to have it close by so she can receive some of the best care in Europe for what she’s going through.”
Neither Jake nor his cousins, Sam (29) and Alex (27) have run a marathon before, but they are training hard, determined to complete it.
“Training has been tough but, having raised nearly £11,000, every time I’m out there I feel incredibly motivated to keep going and to keep raising awareness to push the donations up. Any support towards this would mean the world to us and my wonderful mum.”
To support the work of The Christie Charity, please go to Donate today or ring 0161 446 3988.
The Christie Charity supports the work of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust providing enhanced services over and above what the NHS is able to fund. This includes money for care and treatment, research, education, and extra patient services. Gifts from the public make a huge difference to the care and treatment that The Christie is able to provide to patients and their families.