Trainee nursing associate begins year of half marathons in son’s memory
A trainee nurse associate from Yorkshire is running in the Great North Run next month in memory of her son, as part of a year’s challenge of fundraising efforts.
Claire Walker, who works at Bradford Royal Infirmary’s emergency department, will be taking part in the world-famous half marathon across Tyneside on 8 September.
“I thought I would do something to challenge myself, so I’ve decided to do a year-long running and fundraising challenge”
Claire Walker
It kickstarts a year of fundraising for Ms Walker to remember Axl, 2, who had a rare blood disorder and sadly passed away three days before his third birthday in 2018.
Since then, Ms Walker has been supporting Bradford Hospitals Charity and raising money in Axl’s memory to ensure other young patients have access to toys to help distract them while in hospital.
Every December her family, along with colleagues from Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, host the ‘Sparkle 4 Axl’ day where staff wear something sparkly in his memory.
Over the last six years, Ms Walker and her husband, Ian, and sons, Lucas, 13 and River, 3, have raised more than £20,000 for the charity.
She has already completed the Great North Run three times, including two for the ‘Sparkle 4 Axl’ annual fundraising campaign.
This year, she has set herself an even bigger challenge by running 13 half marathons, or one half marathon a month, for a year, with next month’s Great North Run the first on her list.
Ms Walker, from Wisbey, said: “I took up running when Axl was in hospital in Leeds in 2018 for his second transplant to help my mental health.
“Over the years since his death, running has helped stop me from jumping over the edge when the grief got too much,” she said.
“Today, it continues to help me live life without him and to cope with the stresses and strains of working in the NHS.”
In addition, Ms Walker said: “Seeing the faces of the children and young people on the wards who benefit from the charity gifts which the donations from Axl’s fund buys, makes all the difference.
“’Sparkle 4 Axl’ means everything to me as it’s about keeping Axl’s memory alive and knowing that the children are getting something – be it a toy or a game – from him, through the money we have raised, means the world.”
Ms Walker added: “I thought I would do something to challenge myself, so I’ve decided to do a year-long running and fundraising challenge which will see me run a half marathon a month.
“This year’s Great North Run starts it all off and next year’s Great North Run ends it. In between – and once a month – I’ll either be running an official half marathon as I’m already booked Leeds, Manchester and Ilkley, or I’ll run one once a month in my own time if I’ve not got an official half marathon booked.
“I want to raise at least £1,000 for the charity so that even more children and young people can benefit from Axl’s gifts while they are on one of our wards,” she said.
Head of fundraising at Bradford Hospitals Charity, Lisa Williams, thanked Ms Walker for her fundraising efforts. She said: Claire’s dedication to fundraising in memory of Axl is truly inspirational.
“Her unwavering support for Bradford Hospitals Charity exemplifies her commitment to making a difference,” she said.
“We are incredibly grateful for her continued support and wish her the best of luck in her upcoming half marathon challenges.”
