Runner raises £2,000 for Chailey Heritage Foundation by completing the Brighton Marathon

Chloe Evemy, 23, said she wanted to thank the devoted staff who cared for her disabled cousin Dan at the North Chailey charity.

Dan, who sadly passed away in 2013, went to school at Chailey Heritage Foundation for the last five years of his life and received specialist care for his complex disabilities.

“Dan first went to Chailey Heritage back in 2007 when we all left primary school, and he absolutely loved it,” said Chloe, who is a communications specialist in London.

He often stayed overnight, she said, and the foundation gave him more independence.

“Chailey gave Dan the chance to connect with people his own age and it meant so much to us as a family that he was happy there,” said Chloe.

“He was one of many lives that Chailey Heritage Foundation has helped to change,” she added, saying he could ‘swim, paint and talk about the car wash to his heart’s content’.

Chloe said that she wanted to do something for the charity, which relies on fundraising income to deliver its specialist services and facilities.

On Sunday she was ‘over the moon’ to complete her first marathon in four hours and 46 minutes, having set herself a target of under five hours.

She was joined by 15 family members and friends on the day who were all wearing personalised T-shirts and holding signs.

“Despite the pain that complex disabilities such as Dan’s can cause, every time I saw him and, in every picture, he is smiling, which is very special,” said Chloe.

“What Chailey did for Dan, and still does for children with complex disabilities is just amazing,” she said.

People can still sponsor Chloe and help Chailey Heritage Foundation at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chloeevemy.

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