CHICKEN pox is usually an unpleasant but harmless disease.

But it landed two-year-old Alfie Trinder in hospital for nearly a month with a bone infection called osteomyelitis.

To thank staff at the Oxford Children’s Hospital for their care, his grateful dad Garry is running the OX5 to raise money for the hospital.

The annual five-mile OX5 run at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock is on March 10.

Garry, 34, from Kidlington said: “Alfie is now five now and full of health. It was a bad time but they were fantastic at the Oxford Children’s Hospital.

“All the facilities, and arts and crafts and play for the kids were brilliant for when they feel a bit better. They were so accommodating to the parents too.

“We were lucky that Alfie’s condition was treatable but there were many more people worse off than we were and the hospital’s support for them is vital.

“That’s why I have been doing the OX5 runs for the past few years, to give a bit back and say thanks. I want to raise a few hundred pounds to raise a bit of awareness for what they do there and what it means.

“Last year at the run we were next to a couple whose son had leukaemia which just shows how important the hospital is.”

Three years ago Alfie was admitted unresponsive and delirious to hospital with a high temperature of 42.8°C.

Alfie had caught chronic osteomyelitis which could have led to deformity, by bacteria entering the blood when he had severe chickenpox.

He had to be hooked up to tubes through his stomach for doctors and nurses to administer medicine which stopped the infection and was in hospital for four weeks.

l With less than one month to go the more than 600 runners who have signed up are being urged to fundraise to beat the £60,000 total raised last year.

This year marks the 11th year of the OX5 Run, which is sponsored by Oxford-based recruitment firm Allen Associates and organised by the Oxford Mail.

To take part call 01865 743444 or see the online link.