Bereaved dad to run marathon for hospice

A Cranleigh man is among 79 of the thousands of runners who are pounding the streets to raise money for Shooting Star Chase at the London Marathon this weekend.
Julian Westaway from Cranleigh with daughter Lucy AnnaJulian Westaway from Cranleigh with daughter Lucy Anna
Julian Westaway from Cranleigh with daughter Lucy Anna

They are all tackling 26.2 miles to help make every moment count for children with life-limiting conditions, and their families.

Julian Westaway, 52, is a Shooting Star Chase bereaved dad from Cranleigh and is running his second marathon for the charity – and will be doing the event with his daughter Lucy Anna (who is fundraising for Ellen Macarthur Cancer Trust).

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He said: “In 2005 my son Jake was diagnosed with a grade 4 brain tumour and from nowhere the family were plunged into a rollercoaster of emotions.

“From early diagnosis we were put in touch with Shooting Star Chase. The charity provided a level of care, support and consideration that I couldn’t have believed existed.

“I’m doing the marathon for Shooting Star Chase because I would hate to think of other children and their families having to go through anything similar without the same level of support.”

Shooting Star Chase is a leading children’s hospice charity caring for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions. We support families from diagnosis to end of life and throughout bereavement with a range of nursing, practical, emotional and medical care.

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Our bespoke support is free of charge to families and available 365 days a year. Our care service includes short breaks at our two hospices (Shooting Star House in Hampton and Christopher’s in Guildford), Hospice at Home, day care, symptom management, end-of-life care, bereavement care and a comprehensive range of therapies and support groups for the whole family.

It costs £10 million a year just to maintain our current level of care. Around 10% of our income comes from government funding, so we rely on our supporters’ generosity to keep the service running. What’s more, we know there are many more families desperate for our vital support, so it’s crucial we raise more funds to provide more care.

To sponsor Julian visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/westaways