A grieving son is keeping his mum's memory alive by running the London Marathon for blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan on 3 October.
Darren Kyle, of Old Town, has found that running helps him cope with the grief of losing mum Maria, who died from leukaemia in 2015.
Maria beat breast cancer in 2011 but was diagnosed with leukaemia a year later. She went into remission again after a stem cell transplant from Anthony Nolan but the leukaemia returned in 2015.
He said: “The transplant gave her a second chance and, although it wasn’t the ending we wanted, she got to meet her granddaughter.
“She was a very popular person in Swindon and had so many friends.
“The training helps me cope with the grief. It gives me a reason to get up because I can't let the charity down.
“Running is now a hobby of mine and helps my mental health.
“I’m going to be very emotional on the day but I’ve got to hold that emotion at bay until I reach the finish line."
Darren used to have leg and lower back pain caused by sciatica but this has disappeared since he started running.
The 35-year-old has already raised more than £7000. To donate, click here.
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