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2004 September 7- Local Woman in Half Marathon For Children's Charity

NEWS RELEASE

7 September 2004

Local Woman in Marathon for Children’s Charity

Ipswich woman, Christina Wise, 30 is set to run in the Windsor half marathon on Sunday 26th September in a bid to raise money for the children’s charity which has supported her family through her niece’s illness.

The Children's Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF) is a unique national charity that fights childhood liver diseases through funding pioneering research and educating healthcare professionals and the general public. It provides professional, emotional support to families affected and is the only organisation of its kind in the UK.

Christina’s niece Marisa was diagnosed with sclerosing cholangitis at the age of four. This illness causes damage to the bile ducts making it difficult for the liver to function properly.

Christina explains "I decided to run for CLDF as it is such a worthy cause. When I look at Marisa I see a happy and healthy 10 year old, which I don’t think would be possible without the work of CLDF. Effective research is the key to providing a future for children and young people with a childhood liver disease and I’m hoping that the money I raise will go someway towards helping the Foundation to continue to fund this vital work."

This is the 23rd year that the race has taken place and for the first time the whole race will be held in the Great Park.

Christina continued: " I’m looking forward to taking part in the race and hope next year to get a place in the London Marathon. I have been training with a friend on a morning running along the River Thames. I’ve had to make some changes to my diet such as increasing my carbohydrate and protein intake as well as drinking more water."

Catherine Arkley chief executive of the Foundation said: " Thank you to Christina for taking part in the half marathon on our behalf. It is a little known fact that at least two children are diagnosed every day with liver disease and these are just the ones that we know about. With over 100 different liver diseases there is still a long way to go in discovering the causes of all of them, but hopefully with the continued support of fundraisers like Christina we can fund research that may take us closer to finding some of the answers."

Christina is currently running about 8 miles at a time and is hoping to raise £500 for the Foundation.

If you would like to sponsor Christina please call CLDF on 0121 212 3839 or visit her web page on the justgiving site at www.justgiving.com/christinawise

For more information about the work of CLDF or childhood liver disease please call 0121 212 3839, e-mail info@childliverdisease.org or visit www.childliverdisease.org

For more information on this story please contact Rebecca O’Connor on 0121 212 6012 or e-mail rebeccaOC@childliverdisease.org

ENDS