In April 2027, I'll be running the London Marathon for Arthritis UK - and this one is personal 🫶🏼
I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis at just 18 years old and now at 26, I have spent nearly a decade learning to live alongside a condition that has no cure. I understand firsthand the uncertainty that comes with an autoimmune disease, not knowing how your body will respond, what the next flare will bring, or whether the next treatment will work. Last year, that uncertainty hit me harder than ever when I suffered a severe reaction to a medication which led to me being hospitalised with neutropenic sepsis for a week. During that time, I missed what would have been a once-in-a-lifetime safari trip to South Africa, a trip I had looked forward to more than anything. It was, without doubt, one of the most difficult periods of my life and it brought into sharp focus just how desperately better treatments are needed. No one should have to go through what I went through in search of something that simply helps them feel well.
That’s why I’m running the London Marathon for Arthritis UK, to raise vital funds for research that could lead to safer, more effective medications and one day, a cure. But it is also deeply personal to me in another way: crossing that finish line will be my way of proving to myself and to this condition, that arthritis does not get to decide what I am capable of. My body has been through so much and now I want to show what it can do.
If my story resonates with you, or if you know someone living with arthritis, I'd be so grateful for your support. No donation is too small, every contribution goes directly towards Arthritis UK's vital research and support programmes.
Thank you so much 💜
