My Story

Thank you for visiting my Enthuse page. I’m incredibly proud to be running the TCS London Marathon 2024 and raising important funds and awareness for Anaphylaxis UK, a charity that is so important to me, my family and the children I teach.

Both my daughters have allergies. My eldest, Lily, was 'failure to thrive' at 4 months old because of a milk allergy - she needed feeding through a tube. My youngest daughter, Orla, has multiple severe allergies that are a daily risk to her life. At the age of one she went into anaphylactic shock after being exposed to a pea protein in a vegan pizza. If it wasn't for Anaphylaxis UK's online training and her Epipen to give her adrenaline she could have died from choking or worse. Every day we have to manage her allergies to nuts, egg, milk, pea and pea protein, beans, lentils and allergies we are still finding out about. She has always struggled with her skin (as eczema is linked to allergies) and when she has an allergic reaction she often comes out in hives (which look like the stings from nettles).

In the UK, 1-2% of adults and 5-8% of children have a food allergy; this equates to over 2 million people. Hospital admissions due to allergies and anaphylaxis in England have nearly doubled in the last twenty years, and 20% of serious allergic reactions to food happen whilst a child is at school. 

As a teacher and school leader, I am always trying to raise awareness and improve our responses to children with allergies who run the risk of anaphylaxis. But more needs to be done nationally so that children, like my daughters, get the best care and enjoy a life where each day the worry of being exposed to allergens is reduced. 

Anaphylaxis UK is the only UK-wide charity operating solely for the growing numbers of people at risk of serious allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. For 30 years, they have been striving for a brighter future for everyone living with a serious allergy by providing trusted and scientifically-based resources and training to individuals and families, education settings, businesses, and healthcare professionals.

This May I turn 40 a month after the London Marathon. I mark this milestone by running for all the adults and children who manage allergies and run the risk of anaphylaxis each day. I run for Anaphylaxis UK. And I run for my daughters. 

Thank you for supporting my London Marathon fundraising journey and the vital work of Anaphylaxis UK.