In August 2020, at the age of 46, their brother Jamie experienced a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), with serious complications including further bleeds and a Covid-19 infection. The family turned to Headway for a listening ear and support during this enormously difficult time and received a grant from the charity’s Emergency Fund to help them financially.
With the ongoing pandemic meaning they were unable to visit Jamie in hospital, the determined sisters decided to take on a fresh challenge...
“We had never run before, so once we signed up we downloaded the Couch to 5k app and then thought ‘what have we done?!’”, said Zoe.
“We soon focused all our thoughts on our training. It made us feel like we were doing something for Jamie. Emotions were high at this point.
“On the morning of the marathon, we were feeling excited wearing the vest top with the Headway logo and our brother’s name on the back of it. It was the day we had focused on and hoped that Jamie would be out of the hospital to see us run.
“At times we did struggle, but we had our goal in sight and no matter what, we were going to finish.
“Our brother and family were waiting for us at the finish line, and seeing Jamie there made it all worthwhile.
“When we signed up for this marathon I never knew that my brother would be living with me and would need 24-hour, one-to-one care, so I didn’t manage to get out running for three weeks prior to the marathon. Instead, I was caring around the clock for Jamie.
“My mum asked us to postpone the run until next year, but this was never going to happen - we were determined to run this marathon.
“We feel very proud of our achievement and we have raised £2,884.50 for Headway. I would encourage anyone to never give up hope and to always believe you can do anything if you put your mind to it.”
Feeling inspired?
Taking on a fundraising challenge is a perfect way to support people affected by brain injury while benefiting from a fantastic sense of achievement. Browse the links below for inspiration...
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