A father from Oxfordshire is running the Oxford Half Marathon to raise money for the hospital that saved his daughter’s sight.

This Sunday (October 15), Steven Park from Wallingford is donning his trainers and running the Oxford Half in aid of Oxford Hospitals Charity.

Last year, Mr Park and his wife Sam took their daughter to their local GP surgery in Wallingford for her six-week post-natal check-up.

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It was at this check-up that the doctor picked up that Phoebe's eyesight wasn’t as it should be.

Following a referral to the eye clinic and a series of tests at the John Radcliffe Hospital (JR), it was determined that Phoebe was born with Nance-Horan syndrome, a rare condition that affects various systems in the body, including the growth of eyes and teeth, and can sometimes lead to delayed development.

At just eight weeks old, little Phoebe was scheduled for surgery at the JR to remove cataracts from both her eyes.

The surgery was a success, significantly improving her vision.

Phoebe continues to receive regular check-ups and recently underwent another procedure to remove a membrane from her eye.

Mr Park said: “Phoebe is now 11 months old and wears contact lenses or glasses on a daily basis.

“We were so lucky that her condition was picked up so early and for her to have had the surgery - it could have been a very different story if it hadn’t; therefore I’m running the Oxford Half this weekend to give back to the hospital that saved Phoebe's sight.”

Mr Park is part of a team of seventy runners taking part in the Oxford Half this weekend in support of Oxford Hospitals Charity.

The charity fundraises to purchase state-of-the-art medical equipment and create more comfortable surroundings for patients across the John Radcliffe, Churchill, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and Horton General Hospital.

Lucy Walker from Oxford Hospitals Charity said: “This is the biggest team the charity has ever had at the Oxford Half and we are so proud of everyone taking part in support of their local hospitals.

We have staff from across all our Oxfordshire hospitals as well as many patients and their families, and runners from the local business community, all putting their best foot forward to make a difference this Sunday.

“It’s such a brilliant day and truly inspiring to see so many local charities represented in force at this very special event.”

A record 13,000 people are expected to turn out on Sunday for this year’s Half Marathon.

The race will start at 9.30am on Broad Street with runners encouraged to arrive from 7.30am.

 

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1