After losing his eight-year-old son to a brain tumour last year, a father is planning a gruelling run to raise funds in his memory.
Ross Peckham will set out to run 53 miles on Friday 24th June in memory of his beloved son Lochlan, who died in May 2021, aged eight.
He will follow a route from Marske-by-the-Sea, where he lives, to the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle, the hospital that cared for Lochlan, passing the spot where his son is buried on the way.
Lochlan was diagnosed with a high-grade glioma in 2019. For nearly two years, he endured surgery, endless hospital visits and months of gruelling treatments. Lochlan’s family say he was a “real-life superhero who never failed to stop smiling and making people laugh throughout his treatment”.
Ross is raising funds for two charities: Brain Tumour Research and Children’s Cancer North. He hopes that his fundraising effort will ensure that something positive comes as a result of Lochlan’s passing.
He said: “It is almost a year since Lochlan passed away and the pain remains very raw for all of us. There is nothing we can do to bring Lochlan back. But we can try to raise money for, and awareness of, the research that is so desperately needed into this devastating illness.
“While there is a great deal of awareness about cancer generally, that is frequently not the case with certain types of brain tumours. While rare, these can be devastating forms of cancer that often, as in Lochlan’s case, prove fatal. It is essential that more is done to fund research in this area and to support the vital work of the teams at hospitals such as the Great North Children’s Hospital.”
To support Ross’ fundraising, please visit his JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/runforlochlan
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