Worksop teenager runs 300 kilometres in 30 days for children's cancer charity
A 13-year-old schoolboy has taken on a running challenge to raise money for charity after the children of two family friends were diagnosed with cancer.
Harry Lamb, aged 13, began training for the 10km-a-day running challenge at the end of July, before setting out in time for Children's Cancer Awareness Month on September 1.
The idea came about after two children of the family’s friends were both diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, leaving Harry feeling helpless.
Mary and Callum O’Keefe’s baby James was diagnosed in June, just before his first birthday, while three-year-old Charlie Bragan, grandson of Dinnington couple Tanya Procter and Andy Benton, was diagnosed just five weeks ago.
So far, Harry, from Whitwell Common, has raised £1,120 – smashing his £300 target – for the Parents Association of Children with Tumours and Leukaemia, a charity which supports families of children who are receiving treatment for cancer or leukaemia at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
The Wales High School student began the first four days of the challenge while on holiday in Menorca, setting off early to beat the heat, and has been running before or after school since term has restarted.
Parents Charlotte and Ian Lamb said they are ‘really proud’ of their son, especially as he is not a ‘keen runner’, while his older sister, Sophie, has been offering words of encouragement along the way.
Charlotte said: “He's been really really dedicated and eating really healthily. He’s enjoying it for his fitness and noticing he’s a lot fitter for his rugby training.
“I think usually you would want to visit someone in hospital, but you can’t because they’re so vulnerable from the chemotherapy. I think he just felt like he wanted to do something to help.”
Harry said he hopes to continue with running after the challenge and work towards a half marathon.
Mary, aged 27, from Gateford, is full of praise for Harry.
She said: “It's hard when people ask ‘is there anything we can do to help’, so for Harry to help charities that help us while we’re at the hospital, that's just all that we can ask for – and it not only helps us, it helps every single family that's there as well.”
She said James has been responding ‘really well’ to the first three months of chemotherapy, and is just a ‘typical’ one-year-old, ‘running riot’ around the house, but he has a long two-year treatment plan ahead of him.
She urged other parents to ‘trust your instincts’ if they are worried about their child’s health.
Charlie’s grandmother repeated a similar message that parents should ‘follow their gut’.
Jak Bragan and Laura Fay, Charlie’s parents, from Hoyland, Barnsley, knew something was wrong when he kept falling unwell over the summer, but it was not until he collapsed that he finally received a diagnosis.
The family are now working on raising awareness of the cancer through a series of fundraising events.
Tanya said she and Andy and their family ‘cannot thank Harry enough’ for the work he is doing, which will support ‘Nan’s little warrior’, as well as his five-year-old brother, Joey.
She said: “We are so proud of him, I’m just absolutely overwhelmed with what he’s doing. At age just 13, his support for the PACT charity is outstanding.”
To support Harry’s fundraiser, visit bit.ly/3xZkccb