Naomi Duffree

[p]Thank you for visiting my Virgin Money Giving page in aid of the Stroke Association. Some of you may have generously donated in the last two years when I ran both the Virgin Money London Marathon in 2018 along with my daughter Sophie, and the Edinburgh Marathon, last year, raising in total over £2500 for the Stroke Association.[/p][p]If you haven’t visited before please read my story as to why I want to raise awareness for this charity, and remember my mother Rosalinde who had a stroke in 2016. If you do know my story and reasons, I want to say a huge thank you for returning and giving again. Every penny counts for the charity – and it also motivates me to get out there and keep on with the training...which doesn't get any easier as the years go on! [i]You really do make a difference.[/i][/p][p]For those who don’t know…..[/p][p]In the autumn of 2016 I was due to run the Bournemouth Half Marathon, which would have been my first mass participation race. I didn’t get to take part as priorities changed when two days before the date, my mother Rosalinde, 89, had a severe haemorrhagic stroke which saw her admitted to Lincoln Hospital’s Stroke ward, where the Doctors advised the family that she may not survive the next 24 hours. But Rosalinde was never one to give up easily.[/p][p]As a wonderful mother and grandmother who lived independently it was a huge shock to see how she was left after the stroke. Although terribly confused due to the damage done to her brain she still had the ability to talk but the life she had known was long gone. Her mobility was taken from her too and many times she was living in her youth – and ours. [/p][p]For two months my sister and I stayed by her hospital bedside along with other members of the family. During the time she was in hospital the Stroke Association charity came round to offer support to those suffering from the effects of a stroke and their families. Some of their volunteers had suffered strokes themselves. We knew that Mum would not be going home and there was little chance of rehabilitation for her but the volunteers were always there to listen to us and offer support in terms of listening, understanding or just a friendly hug. There was plenty of literature available on the unit about what else the Stroke Association provide and it was great to learn of the difference they make to sufferers and their families.[/p][p]Rosalinde was in a nursing home for the last month of her life, dying on January 1st 2017.[/p][p]She will always be remembered as a wonderful mother, grandmother, aunt and sister. She is missed enormously. When she heard I was training for a half marathon she thought I was mad. So I’m sure the fact that I’m now running my third one will amuse her greatly! I am running in memory of Rosalinde, a very special Mum and Granny, who I hope will be proud as well as thinking I’m mad to attempt a marathon for the third time! [b][i]I[/i][/b] think I’m slightly mad to be running another one! Please donate whatever you can; every little bit will help – and the difference it could make to so many people will be immense.[/p][p]I am also running The Vitality Big Half, March 1st. 2020. This starts by Tower Bridge and finishes in the setting of the Cutty Sark, in Greenwich. It is in its third year and I’m determined to shave the 56 seconds off my last time and run it in sub 2! When I ran the Edinburgh Marathon in 2019 I cut my marathon PB by 23 minutes – I am not expecting that again, but would very much like to match my 4:44:20 that I ran in Scotland. I can but hope.[/p][p]Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. And if you can’t donate but would like to come and cheer me on, in March for the Big Half, or for the VMLM, April 26th 2020, I would love you to support me that way![/p]