I am running the Marathon without being in Marathon shape (to say the least) as a way of showing my boy how I can try to be as strong as him.
Max was a very active child playing football whenever he could. He played for his club, trained with Newcastle, he ran junior park run (faster than his dad), went to an athletics club and went to Beaver scouts. If he wasn’t doing an activity he just wanted to play and be outside.
Then he started limping…No pain but limping that came and went. It took months of us going to the doctors who thought it was muscular until a football coach pointed out that he recognised the limp and that he thought he had Perthes. We had him x-rayed and the coach was right.
Perthes disease is a very rare condition which is when the blood flow to the top of the thigh bone in the hip joint just stops getting to the ball of the joint. This causes the bone to crumble and become misshaped and eventually it collapses. This is a temporary problem and can take up to 4 years for the blood flow to come back so the bone can grow back. It is important to get that it back as round as possible to have a better outcome. No two kids suffer in the same way and Doctors all treat it in different ways. It is massively under researched.
Max had an operation to help his hip recover faster. But was in a body cast and wheelchair for weeks and has now been on cruthches for 16 months. He still does physio every day!!
He has not been able to run or jump or play. I thought this would destroy him.
Not Max!!!
He became the assistant manager for the rest of his under 7s season and went back and has helped coach every game of this season, even when his team wasn’t playing he went to show the coaches of the other teams at his club what to do.
He has even been going to training and watching and getting involved even though he can’t join in. He wants to be there and be involved. He is committed and driven and does not let anything get to him.
He is my hero!!!!!
I am running the Marathon to try and be as strong as him. If I can be even 10% as strong this marathon will be a doddle.
I want to raise some money for Perthes to help find out what causes this shitty disease that steals a childs childhood!!
No-one should have to watch their child give up such a huge part of themselves and if I can help that not happen to others I will be proud.
This is for my Hero, Max!
If you can help in anyway please donate HERE https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mickreids
