Chris Fulwell, a 41-year-old from Drayton, Oxfordshire, is lacing up his trainers this weekend for the OX5 RUN – in support of the Oxford Children’s Hospital.

Not only is Chris the event’s top individual fundraiser, raising over £2,400, but fate has also played its part in making this run particularly special - as it falls on his 42nd birthday!

Chris's motivation to take part in the OX5 RUN stems from a personal journey involving his son, Eddie, who has been under the care of the Children’s Hospital.

A few weeks after Eddie was born, he started having seizures and spent some time in the hospital to work out what was causing them.

After a variety of tests, Chris and his wife learned that Eddie has a very rare form of epilepsy; only 1 in 2 million children are diagnosed with this every year.

Chris told us, “Aside from the seizures, Eddie’s epilepsy is predicted to have a significant impact on his vision, motor development, speech, and more - there's so much we don't know, but we do know that he will need a lot of support throughout his life."

“He’s been spending time in the Oxford Children’s Hospital having various treatments, and the team here have been absolutely fantastic throughout."

“We know that the money given to the Children’s Hospital from fundraising makes such a difference in providing essential services for Eddie and countless other children facing similar battles.”

For those reasons, Chris has committed himself to the OX5 RUN this Sunday at Blenheim Palace.

He humorously acknowledges that, given his penchant for biscuits and the time spent by Eddie's side in the hospital over the last few weeks (including some time in Intensive Care), his participation might lean more towards a leisurely walk than a run. Nevertheless, he pledges to give it his best – and we can’t ask for any more than that!

Gemma Cole from Oxford Hospitals Charity said, “We want to wish Chris the best of luck as he takes on the OX5 RUN this Sunday - he is a genuine superstar, and we'll be cheering him on every step of the way!”