Running for Eden
Chelsea’s Cardiff Half story
I started running in January when I joined my local run club – Blister Sisters. I’d never thought I would be capable of running 5k let alone a half marathon, so when I saw that Noah’s Ark had charity places in the Cardiff Half Marathon I just knew it was my time to do something to challenge myself and give back to the hospital that has been our lifeline for the past nine years. This run is my way of giving back to the people who gave us so much.
My daughter, Eden, was born in 2016 with a rare condition called Lymphatic Malformation. From the very beginning, she faced life-threatening challenges, and we were told she might not survive. But Eden defied the odds.
Our journey with the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales started at birth, when she was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Since then, Eden has faced multiple hospital admissions, including two stays in intensive care where the staff quite literally saved her life. She’s battled infections, endured complications after surgery, and received support not just medically but emotionally too, including from the hospital’s child psychologist, who helped Eden and our family navigate the emotional toll of her condition. Eden is nine years old now and managing her condition with daily medication. She’s still under the care and support of the children’s hospital with regular ENT, Cardiology and Maxillo-facial appointments.
One moment I’ll never forget was during the chaos of Eden’s emergency transfer following surgery complications in 2021. We arrived at Noah’s Ark with nothing, no clothes, no toiletries and due to lockdown measures and the hospital’s one-parent policy, we couldn’t leave her to get anything and most of the shops were shut. Having heard about Eden’s situation, the Noah’s Ark Charity contacted their supporters at Primark who, not only put together a package for Eden, but supplied over 1,000 products to be given to children in similar situations. Eden’s story inspired the charity, and these packs became a permanent thing. That act of kindness still brings tears to my eyes.
Noah’s Ark has been our lifeline and our comfort when we were scared and lost. They think about the whole family, whether that’s through the charity’s sparkle co-ordinator bringing joy to the wards, or the emergency packs that show they’ve thought of everything. They treat every child like their own, and every parent like they matter. That’s rare. That’s why I’m fundraising for the little things that make the biggest difference.
As for the run on Sunday – I’m feeling nervous. Excited. Emotional!! It’s my first half marathon, and it’s a big challenge but every step I take will be for Eden, for the children still fighting, and for the staff who never stop caring. I’m running with purpose, and I hope I make myself and my family proud!
My husband, Eden, and my son Auggie will all be coming along to support me. Seeing their faces will help me reach that finish line.
