Parents hope to run up total for Warwick charity close to their hearts

Parents Chris and Jenny Byrne will taking on the London Landmarks Half Marathon on Sunday, to support a Warwick charity which helped them through their daughter’s cancer battle nine years ago.

The couple, from Wolverhampton, are running in aid of Molly Ollys, a children’s charity that supported them following Rosie’s leukemia diagnosis, in 2015.

The family’s life changed forever just a few weeks after Rosie’s third birthday when she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Chris said: “It’s like the rug had been pulled from underneath us. Everything came to an end and normal life just stopped there and then. We felt like we were in a black hole.

"You don’t ever think something like this will happen to you, it always happens to somebody else - but it did happen to us and it was an incredibly hard time.”

A three-year treatment plan got under way immediately, including regular chemotherapy, scans and blood tests.

During Rosie’s treatment, Molly Ollys granted the three-year-old a special wish to follow in the footsteps of her favourite character Paddington Bear and the charity organised an overnight stay and Paddington Bear tour of London for Rosie and her family.

Rachel Ollerenshaw of Molly Ollys, recalls: “Rosie’s wish to follow in the steps of Paddington Bear is one that I will always remember, such a lovely thing to ask for.

"I had the pleasure of meeting Rosie and her family in 2015. They have been very supportive over the years and we are so grateful. Wishing Jenny and Chris all the best for the run at the weekend.”

Today, 12-year-old Rosie has not looked back since ringing the bell at BCH to signal an end to her treatment in May 2018. A student at St Edmunds Academy, today she enjoys an active lifestyle, including Park Runs and playing for her local cricket team.

She also took part in last month’s Wolverhampton 10k.

But Jenny and Chris have vowed to never stop ‘giving back’ to the charities which helped them during the most challenging chapter of their lives together and they’re looking forward to hopefully improving on their time at their second London Landmarks Half Marathon on Sunday.

Jenny added: “We’ve trained together more this time so we’re looking to enjoy it more.

"It’s a great event with a spectacular route and lots of different entertainment and last time it was big physical challenge to get around it and didn’t appreciate the atmosphere and how amazing it is to do it in London.

This time we’re hoping that we can take it in a bit more and it will be really special."

To sponsor Jenny and Chris go to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/LLHM2024TeamByrne