A FATHER will be running his first London Marathon this weekend to raise funds for a cause very close to his heart.
Kevin Hyatt from Tarporley, whose one year-old daughter Erin was born with a rare liver condition known as type 4 choledochal cysts, is aiming to raise £1,000 for the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF).
So far the 30-year-old is more than a quarter of the way to reaching his target amount, which will go toward funding vital research into childhood liver diseases.
Kevin’s daughter is currently in good health but in the future there is every possibility she will require major surgery as a result of her condition.
“At the moment she is doing amazingly well,” he explained. “In fact we wouldn’t even know of her condition if it wasn’t picked up at our 20-week antenatal scan.
“But like many conditions affecting the liver, this can have serious implications and there’s no easy fix. Erin may even need major surgery at some point in the future.
“I think the research which CLDF funds into rare childhood liver diseases is vital, and knowing there are people out there who can give support to families like us is amazing too – it’s certainly given me the motivation I need to run my first marathon.”
Kevin is hoping to complete the annual race on Sunday in four-and-half-hours having carried out a gruelling training regime, which included 15-mile runs starting at 4am.
CLDF chief executive Catherine Arkley says 75% of its funding for research comes from the community.
“We are delighted that Kevin has chosen to support us in this way, she added.
“We really appreciate the hard work which goes into training and fundraising for the London Marathon and wish him all the best for the day.”
To sponsor Kevin visit www.justgiving.com/kevinhyatt. For more information on CLDF visit childliverdisease.org.
