A CO Derry mum has come up with a novel idea to keep us fit during December whilst raising money for Children's Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF).
The charity which has been close to Maeve Curley's heart ever since her six-year-old son, Ted, was given a life-saving liver transplant when he was just 22 months.
"Ted was a perfectly healthy little boy up until the age of 22 months. I came home from work one day and saw Ted was looking a bit yellow. I took him to the GP and two weeks later he had a liver transplant," she recalls.
When Maeve, a member of Termoneeny Running Club outside Magherafelt, received a place to run for the charity at next April's London Marathon, she wanted to get others in her community involved while also keeping her training on track and boosting her fundraising.
Tedathon, named after her youngest son, is a pledge to walk, run, swim or cycle either 5k or 30 minutes each day during December. And the good news is you don't need to pound the streets during the rain – you can take part on a running machine, in the swimming pool or simply by doing the shopping.
"It's only £10 to join in, so it's a simple way both to raise money for a fantastic cause and to improve health and fitness during a month of over-indulgence. I'm lucky to have got a London Marathon place but I appreciate not everyone can do that. However, anyone can join in the Tedathon," says Maeve.
Whilst initially doctors suspected little Ted may have contracted hepatitis, and sent off blood tests, upon return to Antrim Area Hospital for the results, the Curley family's life was "turned upside down and taken in a direction they never could have imagined".
"The way the doctors approached us, it became evident that this wasn't good – and that night our little boy was being airlifted to Birmingham Children's Hospital," says Maeve.
Ted's deterioration was caused by an unknown viral condition and, within a week of being in England, tests were being carried out to see if he was physically able to go through transplant surgery.
"We got the last result about 7pm at night and were told he was active on the donor list. Remarkably, just two hours later we got a phone call saying a transplant have been found," recalls Ted's relieved mother.
Five years on, although he still requires regular check-ups, Ted is doing well, and excited to be taking part in Tedathon himself.
"He's a character. Sometimes to get out of things he will say 'I couldn't possibly do that; you know I've had a transplant'. He's an old man in a six-year-old's body. Maybe that's the transplant coming through," laughs Maeve, who is extremely grateful for the continued support the CLDF have given her family.
This ranged from visiting them in hospital in Birmingham to providing practical guidance on things such as travel insurance and giving Ted's school an information pack to having a representative from the charity accompany the Birmingham medical team when they come to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children to see Ted.
"To have a child suffer liver failure and go through transplant at such a young age is truly traumatic. The foundation is there for the kids and their families throughout the process and it's a great comfort to have their support.
"We want every family in our situation to have that kind of support and this is my way of giving something back," says Maeve.
Maeve started running almost 11 years ago and although she has competed in a half marathon and 10ks before, she doesn't consider herself a "serious runner" and isn't interested in personal bests – rather, she enjoys running for companionship and both mental and physical wellbeing.
"Running is a great form of escapism and I love to go out running with my friends. It also can be very emotional running, especially when you're alone with your thoughts," admits Maeve, who at first used running to help distract her and cope with Ted's transplant.
:: Visit http://bit.ly/2L6wM0X to support Maeve's fundraising effort and follow Tedathon19 on Facebook. For more information on CLDF visit childliverdisease.org
