Cancer survivor marks 10 years with marathon run

Felix Brown is running his first marathon exactly 10 years after completing treatment for cancer.

Now 20 and from Dorset, he is raising money for Children with Cancer UK, which helped him and his family after he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia aged 10.

"As a child you don't know what it means but I came to learn it could be awful in some cases, I was lucky, I battled through it," he said.

He is among thousands of people from across the South taking in the London Marathon this weekend, many running for causes close to their hearts.

Now cancer-free, Brown will run the 26-mile race the exact date of his last day of treatment a decade ago - 26 April.

"He is so resilient, so hardworking," his mum, who is also running the London Marathon for the third time added.

"I think I will be crying a lot on Sunday - I'm welling up just saying that," she said.

Vanessa Barrow, 52, from Swanmore, in Hampshire is taking on the London Marathon after a decade of unsuccesful ballot applications.

"I saw the congratulations you're in and I thought oh my god I have to do it now," she said.

She is raising money for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, which helped her son Felix after he was hit by a car in 2015.

"They stabilised him at the road side and then transferred him to Southampton general hospital," she said.

Then-11, Felix suffered broken bones and a brain injury that left him with speech and balance difficulties.

"Four weeks after the accident he went into intensive care for four weeks and in the high dependency unit.

"And for nine months we were in and out of hospital.

"Without the air ambulance service he might not be here and the rescue missions each cost £3,500 so that's why I am raising money for them," Barrow said.

Now 21, Felix has gone on to become a para‑cycling road world champion on a trike and hopes to compete at the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles.

He said he was "obviously proud" of his mum.

In Banbury, 23-year-old Samuel Darke, is running in memory of his twin brothers Joshua and Charlie who died 26 years ago.

"They're something we always talk about. We're always proud to talk about their lives and we just want to do something in their memory," he said.

His mum Sharon Darke said she was "very proud" of her son running for the charity she co-founded two years ago, Footpints Baby loss.

"The charity was set up in memory of Charlie and Joshua who sadly died shortly after they were born," she said.

"We quickly realised that loosing one or more babies from a multiple pregnancy gives a very unique and often misunderstood kind of grief.

"There can be joy and heartbreak existing side by side, and many families tell us they feel isolated or unsure where they fit - the charity ensures no one has to navigate that complexity alone," she adds.

Darke will be running his first marathon while managing type 1 diabetes.

"That adds to the general challenges," he said, explaining that training had involved finding the right fuelling plan to keep his levels stable.

"But I am excited to race now," he added.

Dani Czernuszka‑Watts, 37, from Berkshire, is running for the Spinal Injuries Association after an illegal rugby tackle paralysed her with a spinal cord injury in 2017.

"I remember being petrified for my future," she says

"So this year I'm taking on the London Marathon to show what is possible after a spinal cord injury."

The London Marathon takes place on Sunday.

The 26.2 mile race ends at the famous Mall in St James' Park, directly in front of Buckingham Palace.