DEALING with a child’s terminal diagnosis is the hardest thing for any parent to have to do.

So when Tom Barrett’s nine-month-old daughter Anna was diagnosed with a brain tumour he and his wife Sarah turned to East Oxford charity Helen and Douglas House for support.

The young family from Standlake near Witney were cared for at the children’s hospice for eight weeks following 10 days at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital. Anna died in November 2011.

Since then Mr Barrett, 31, and long-time school friend Alex Lambourne, from Winchester, have been fundraising tirelessly to support Helen and Douglas House.

They have completed the charity’s Santa Run and the three peaks challenge.

Now the men have raised more than £7,000 with their efforts for the charity and are taking on the Oxford Half Marathon on Sunday, October 13.

Mechanical engineer Mr Barrett, who works at Culham Science Centre, said: “We are just really indebted to Helen and Douglas House.

“It is just an amazing charity and hospice. The staff are brilliant, they are very skilled and sensitive in such difficult situations. It takes a special sort of person to work in situations like that.

“It is a very homely environment and is just like a sanctuary.

“We spent some time in hospital in intensive care, and the staff there are fantastic but in our circumstances it was right for us to go to Helen House.”

Mr Barrett, now father to seven-month-old Henry, added: “I want to raise money and awareness for the hospice.

“It is my first half marathon, so it is quite a challenge. We are finding it harder than when we trained for the three peaks.

“It is daunting when you are not used to long-distance running but both of us like a challenge.”

Entries are now open for the 13.1-mile run, which takes participants through the streets of the city and finishes at the Kassam Stadium.

Runners will pass through the Cowley Mini plant, past the Iffley Road running track and over Magdalen Bridge into the city centre before continuing through Christ Church Meadow and along the Thames Path down to the stadium. The half marathon is in its third year.

To sponsor Mr Barrett and Mr Lambourne, visit my.helenanddouglas.org.uk/ tomandalex

HOW TO ENTER

Entry costs £31 per participant plus £2 registration fee. Affiliated entry is £29 per participant plus £2 registration fee.

For more information, visit oxfordhalfmarathon.com or oxfordmail.co.uk/
halfmarathon