Louise’s London Marathon Story
Written by Louise Ruddick
“My relationship with Action Duchenne came about very spontaneously at the beginning of January this year. My brother, George, was diagnosed with Duchenne back in 1992, just before his third birthday. He was obviously too young to be aware however the impact that it had on our family was deeply devastating. George’s Paediatrician was quite blunt and told our mum that George would be unlikely to live past his teens. The next few weeks were spent in disbelief about how this could happen to our adorable little man. We then tried to be positive, being told by the Professor that there would very likely be a cure during George’s childhood.
As the years flew by, we had to face the reality that this wasn’t going to be the case. George faced many challenges, especially when I came to school. Certain members of staff felt that they knew better and, looking back, they really undermined George and our family. They had very limited knowledge due to the rarity of Duchenne, George left school as soon as he could escape and was keen to enrol in his local college.
The best brother I could have ever asked for
This was George’s time to be strong, and it was lovely to watch him flourish. He was treated with respect and the staff around him helped his confidence. George had 2 best friends who had Duchenne and they used to get together at our local hospice for short periods of respite care. Believe me, they would get up to all sorts of mischief!
On the 10th of August last year, our family faced overwhelming grief when George passed away. He was 34 years old and was the best brother I could ever have asked for. 2025 came and went. But as 2026 loomed, I really didn’t want to face the reality and the New Year without him. What could I do to motivate myself?
A crazy idea….
Last summer, George and I discussed the London marathon and why people torture themselves by doing it. He supported me in applying for a charity place as I hadn’t been successful in the ballot. The charity that I contacted never replied. So I just put the crazy idea to bed! That was until January and I received an email informing me that there were still charity places available. I only made it to A for Action in the very long list and read the next word. Duchenne. I headed straight to their website, keen to know more about the charity that I had never heard of. I asked my husband if I managed to secure a charity place, would he accompany me to London and near 300 miles away? Supportive as ever, he agreed as he knew how terrified I am of such a huge city.
I emailed Action Duchenne that weekend to ask if they needed fundraisers to run for them. The very next day, I received a lovely email from Victoria. The rest is a long story.
Now it’s real
The marathon is now this weekend and feels a little too real. Victoria set up a WhatsApp group for Ben, Leanne and myself who are all running the marathon for Action Duchenne. I have never met these fellow runners but I feel that we now have a lifelong friendship ahead of us, each of us have our own personal experience of Duchenne.
We know the real difference the fundraising efforts will make to many other families
I truly wish I had heard about Action Duchenne during George’s lifetime, as I can see the support that it offers to boys and the families living with Duchenne. A special thank you to Victoria for making the dream a reality, by sharing your story of Dougie, this has affirmed my decision to attempt this overwhelming challenge.”
Could you take on a challenge for Action Duchenne to make sure families like Louise’s don’t have to face their journey alone? Find out more about how YOU can make a real difference.
