London Landmarks Half Marathon for Ava Rose

On 12 April 2026, five of us — Jonny, Cathy, Gareth, Sam and David — will be taking on the London Landmarks Half Marathon to honour one extraordinary little girl: Ava Rose Hood, our family’s very own warrior princess.

Ava Rose’s journey began long before she took her first breath. At the 12 week scan, Jonny and Cathy learned their baby had Down Syndrome, however Ava Rose arrived fighting. She spent her earliest days in ICU, in an induced coma, surrounded by tubes and machines. Even then, she showed her spirit — pulling out leads, defying expectations, and slowly growing stronger. But just as she was preparing to come home, the family were told to “sit down”. Ava Rose had Transient Leukaemia, a condition more common in children with Down Syndrome. Her bloods were monitored constantly, and for a time it looked like she might avoid treatment.

Then, just before her first birthday, her platelets dropped. A bone marrow test confirmed what the family feared: Ava Rose needed chemotherapy.

What followed were five long months of hospital life — chemo, infections, paraflu, feeding tubes, immune crashes, sleepless nights and endless worry. Yet through every setback, Ava Rose danced, giggled, and shone. The nurses at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast became family. The charities supporting them became lifelines.

And on 10 December 2025, Ava Rose rang the bell. She beat cancer!

The charities that carried the family through their darkest days — Young Lives vs Cancer, Angel Wishes, Children’s Cancer Unit Charity, B Positive and Little Hero’s — now help families like ours with emotional support, financial help, accommodation, comfort, and the reassurance that no one faces childhood cancer alone.

So now it’s our turn to give back.

Some of us are seasoned runners, some are lacing up for the first time, and one of us definitely thought they said rum, not run! But every mile we cover is for Ava Rose — for her courage, her joy, her stubborn little wiggle, and the future she fought so hard to reach.

Your donation, no matter the size, will directly support the charities that helped save her life and carried Jonny and Cathy through the hardest months they’ve ever known.

Thank you for supporting us, for supporting these incredible charities, and for celebrating the little girl who kicked cancer’s ass — and did it with a smile :)

Our places for running London Landmarks Half Marathon have been purchased by Young Lives vs Cancer.