A civil servant has recruited a team of 100 friends, family members - and even strangers - to help her raise tens of thousands of pounds for Great Ormond Street Hopsital.
Jess Lewis will run alongside 100 friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbours at this year’s Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon next month in memory of her daughter Anna Lewis.
Anna passed away at Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2012, when she was just 14-months-old and only two weeks after she was diagnosed with Alpers' Disease, which is a rare Mitochondrial Disease - a degenerative condition for which there is currently no cure.
Anna was a healthy baby for the first year of her life but had a seizure out of the blue just before her first birthday. She was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital where she spent weeks under investigation before being diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease.
Mrs Lewis, who is also mother to nine-year-old Holly, setting up The Anna Lewis Brighter Future Fund in 2012 along with her husband David.
The special fund raises money for research at Great Ormond Street Hospital into Mitochondrial Disease, and to date it has raised more than £205,000.
Mrs Lewis originally took part in the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon two years ago, having never run before - and this year set herself the task of recruiting a team of 100.
She has managed to persuade friends, relatives, colleagues, neighbours and even her local running club to run alongside her on October 9 and raise vital funds in her daughter’s memory.
So far Mrs Lewis has surpassed her original target and an incredible 105 people have signed up to join 'Team Anna 100' in Anna's memory and in support of The Anna Lewis Brighter Future Fund, which hopes to reach its £250,000 target this year with the help of the race.
She said “I am so proud of Anna, she has achieved so much in her short life. I want to raise money for research but also raise awareness of Mitochondrial Disease.
"Last time I ran it was an emotional day but running with so many friends and family will be extra special.”
