Mum of three Elin is running for Momentum as they started supporting her family after her youngest son Oliver, 2, was born with what doctors believe is a rare genetic neuromuscular condition.

Elin is reaching the final stages of an intense 16-week training plan which has seen her cover hundreds of miles in preparation for the biggest one-day fundraising event on the planet. She has set herself an ambitious £12,000 fundraising target and is well on her way to reaching it! Every penny raised from her sponsorship will support Momentum’s work in helping families in Surrey, Sussex and London who have seriously ill children.

Talking about her son Oliver, Elin said: “When Oliver was about eight weeks old, I started to notice that he wasn’t meeting any milestones. He developed aspiration pneumonia and several other infections and was admitted to The Royal Surrey County Hospital. We were told Oliver had a rare genetic neuromuscular condition but to this day, almost two and a half years on, we still don’t have a formal diagnosis. Oliver has hypotonia (muscle weakness), his stomach doesn’t empty, he has an unsafe swallow and can’t swallow anything, so he is fed via a tube. He picks up a lot of chest infections and suffers with constipation.”

Elin continued: “I am on my own, so I don’t have anyone who can take over or help me with looking after Oliver when I’m at the hospital. We are there for days at a time and are often in our own room as we can’t risk Oliver picking up any other infections. It can feel very isolating and as though time has stood still. It is reassuring to know a Family Support Worker from Momentum is there to sit with Oliver while I grab a sandwich or have five minutes to get some fresh air. Having a friendly, familiar person to talk to from Momentum has really helped my wellbeing and has broken up some of the very long days.”

Talking about the TCS London Marathon, Elin said: “Running the marathon is something for ME. My whole life is about the kids and having a focus like this has been good for my mental health. Of course, I am doing it for Oliver too and all the other families that might need Momentum’s support. I’m really looking forward to enjoying the atmosphere of the marathon day, soaking it all in and most importantly, reaching the finish line! I know firsthand how important charities like Momentum are and it means so much to me to raise as much money and awareness for them as I can. They are a local charity, helping local people so it feels even more important to give something back to them.”

Bianca Effemey, Founder and CEO of Momentum Children’s Charity said: “Wow – what a remarkable woman Elin is. I feel proud and honoured that she is one of the 18 runners representing Momentum at the London Marathon. I wish every one of our runners the best of luck with the rest of their training ahead of the big day.  Running a marathon is a huge undertaking, requiring months of intense training so thank you to everyone who is doing this for Momentum. Money raised through sponsoring our runners will help us to continue to support local families of seriously ill children, please dig deep and sponsor them if you can.”

Momentum Children’s Charity supports families across Surrey, London and Sussex whose children are facing cancer or a life-challenging condition. The charity partners with local hospitals to offer personally tailored support to the entire family through our family support workers, both in hospital and at home.

Help Elin reach her huge £12,000 fundraising target: Momentum Children’s Charity: Elin’s London marathon page (enthuse.com)

To find out more about the work of Momentum Children’s Charity, please visit www.momentumcharity.org

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Notes to Editors:

Momentum Children’s Charity supports families across London, Surrey and Sussex whose children are facing cancer or a life-challenging condition. We partner with local hospitals to offer personally tailored support to the entire family through our family support workers, both in hospital and at home. Our services include counselling, creative therapies, special experiences, and respite breaks. If the unthinkable happens, and a child dies, we offer specialist bereavement support. The charity receives no government funding and is reliant entirely on voluntary support. 

For more information about Momentum and future press opportunities, please contact:  Claire Smith, PR and Communications Officer: clairesmith@momentumcharity.org  /  0208 974 5931