A father whose son died from most cancers is to run the London Marathon sporting a cape bearing the names of “superhero” youngsters who’re both dwelling with or have died from the illness.
Ceri Menai-Davis, 41, from Hertford, will probably be working the 26.2 mile race to recollect his son, Hugh, who died aged six from rhabdomyosarcoma, a uncommon sort of sentimental tissue most cancers, and honour the “braveness” of kids at the moment present process most cancers remedy.
Mr Menai-Davis, who will run his third London Marathon occasion on April 21, instructed the PA information company: “These are all youngsters below the age of 14 going by a fully horrid time and the thought is the cape signifies their braveness.
“We’ve come throughout so many various dad and mom from throughout the nation and so they all need their likelihood to have their youngster’s story instructed.
“I assumed how can I greatest present these youngsters as superheroes, which is what they’re. What I’m going to do is put on a superhero cape and put all the youngsters’s names on it.”
Hugh’s title will characteristic in the course of the cape, and will probably be surrounded by the names of kids who’re dwelling with or have died from most cancers, which have been submitted by dad and mom who obtain help from Mr Menai-Davis’s charity, It’s By no means You.
He co-founded the charity along with his spouse Frances in March 2022 six months after Hugh died in September 2021.
During the last yr Mr Menai-Davis has advocated for the Authorities to implement Hugh’s Regulation, a Invoice named after his son, which is designed to present furlough-style funds and different advantages to oldsters caring for his or her sick youngster in hospital for an prolonged interval.
He hopes the run will show his solidarity with dad and mom who’re caring for a kid with most cancers or who’ve misplaced their family members to the illness.
“We’re standing up for (dad and mom). Lots of people don’t realise how unhealthy dad and mom have it,” he mentioned.
“As we all know from the work that we’ve been doing they’re left on their very own, they’re remoted.
“They don’t have any help. They’re given the worst information ever and it’s simply to present one thing again to them.”
The 41-year-old accomplished his first marathon in 2021 – a day earlier than Hugh’s funeral.
“I really buried him with my first medal, so I by no means received a medal from the primary (London Marathon) that I did,” he mentioned.
He accomplished his second London Marathon final yr the place he ran with a white T-shirt signed by youngsters receiving chemotherapy remedy at Nice Ormond Avenue Hospital.
He predicts he won’t “stroll for per week” after working the race and joked he’s “not at an age to start out working marathons” however mentioned the crowds of individuals providing help will hold him motivated.
“Typically you’ve received to transcend the ache barrier to do issues for what you should do,” he defined.
“Everybody’s working for a trigger. Everybody’s working for somebody or one thing. That’s essentially the most superb factor about it.
“It’s not the working that’s addictive, it’s the sensation of the crowds cheering you on.”
Mr Menai-Davis has arrange a JustGiving web page to lift his goal of £5,000 for his charity.
To help his fundraiser, go to https://www.justgiving.com/web page/its-never-you-1705850694708
