“Running a marathon is daunting. But it's nothing compared to what children with cancer go through every day.”

I am one of four siblings. I have two older sisters and Edu was my little brother. When I was 18 years old, and Edu was just five, he was diagnosed with leukaemia. 

He had asthma and bronchitis as a baby, but when he was five it became clear that he was once again short of breath and my parents noticed he was bruising easily. His diagnosis came as a shock to the whole family. 

There were many ups and downs for Edu in the years that followed. He spent long periods of time in hospital and at home. He never went to school for more than a couple of months because he was so often unwell or was having treatment or at hospital appointments.  

He faced numerous difficulties, including week-long stints in hospital, failed clinical trials - and more.  We had some optimism when my sister was found to be a match for him and he underwent a bone marrow transplant – but this too failed. For a period of time his cancer was in remission, which gave all of us hope. But sadly this only lasted a year or two, and Edu eventually passed away in hospital in May 2020. 

It was an extremely difficult time for all of our family, not least because Covid was at its height. My parents were able to stay with him at the hospital, but my sisters and I had to fight to be allowed to spend time with him in his last days. In the end, we were able to stay the night and share some precious hours with Edu, before he passed away with all of us by his side. 

“Edu’s attitude to life inspired me to run a marathon” 

Edu wasn't defined by his disease. He was inquisitive, silly, charming, honest (sometimes brutally so). He loved his dog, sports, dancing, painting, playing board games, and so much more. He had a larger-than-life personality. If you were lucky enough to know him, you loved him. 

Edu’s story is very sad – as is often the case with children diagnosed with this disease – but he managed to do a lot in his short life despite his illness. He was able to travel and  meet some of his sporting idols. He even travelled to Spain to meet his favourite football team, Real Madrid, and Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Since his passing, my parents have done a huge amount of charitable work in his name. Each year, they host a gala dinner in his honour to raise funds for sick children. But I now feel that I want to do something worthwhile for Edu too. 

It was Edu’s attitude to life that has inspired me to take on my first ever marathon. After all, it was down to him that I started running in the first place. I had done cross-country while at school. But when I saw Edu in hospital, and the many other sick children who were there too, I realised that it was a real privilege to be able to walk and run. To be healthy and able-bodied should never be taken for granted. 

“Cancer research is so important”  

I have done a few half-marathons, but this year I decided to sign up for my first marathon ever! I am excited to be running the Berlin Marathon for The Institute of Cancer Research.  Cancer research is so important if we are to find a cure for this disease. Edu took part in a clinical trial and while it sadly did not save his life, I know how much hope it gave my parents at the time. If more research could get us one step closer to saving even one more person, then it has to be worth it. 

Running a marathon will be physically and mentally daunting. But it's nothing compared to what Edu, and the millions of others who are affected by cancer, go through. Many a time when things are hard, I think of him and it puts things in perspective. He would have been so lucky to have the opportunity to even experience the trivial things most of us like to complain about. 

“It is a privilege to be in good health”  

Edu touched so many lives and made so much out of his short time in the world. It is this that has really inspired me. If we could all use our time to do one thing that would make life more fulfilling for ourselves and for others, then we should do exactly that. 

It's a privilege for me to be in good health so I can do this marathon in memory of my brother, munchkin.” 

Good luck to Andrea and to everyone running the Berlin Marathon! To support Andrea and The Institute of Cancer Research, visit:

Andrea's JustGiving page