Running for Abigail

Laura Woodward is mum to two boys Jake (6) and Theo (4) who attend Holy Trinity Primary School, where Toby Cox is about to move up into Year 1 from Reception. Laura has taken the huge step of entering the Bristol Half Marathon this September, running to raise funds for 8 year old Abigail Newton Smith who, like Toby, has Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy. Also like Toby, Abigail is trying to raise the £36,000 necessary to undergo an operation in St Louis, America which will give her the chance to walk unaided.

Laura has never run such a distance before, having started running for fitness earlier this year and originally setting herself the target of the Bradley Stoke 10k, which she achieved in an amazing time of just under the hour. Having achieved this goal she was toying with the idea of the half marathan, but was really unsure whether or not she would be able to make the distance. Laura says “When Jaci (Matters editor) mentioned Abigail’s story, it was the push I needed to decide to enter the half marathon. I always felt I wanted to do more to help Toby, and having followed his mum’s blog during his trip to America, which quite often brought tears to my eyes, I really want to help give Abigail the same chance of this life-changing operation“.

Laura has started running regularly with local group “Soul Sisters” and is aiming to try and keep running for the whole 13.1 miles. As a working single mum, trying to find the opportunity to train can be difficult at times, but family and friends are all helping to lend a hand and the boys are rightly proud of their mum’s efforts and determination. See below for how to support Laura in her fundraising campaign for Abigail.

Laura says: “People who know me well, will know that running a half marathon will not come easy, I have been training hard but still have much to do…, I hope that you will all support me, or should I say support Abigail…I am running on behalf of a special eight year old girl Abigail, to raise money for an operation which will change her life forever. For further details and to sponsor me, please visit www.footsteps4abigail.com/bristolHM.html and sponsor Laura

For an update on Toby and for more of Abigail’s story, look out for our latest edition of Matters Magazine, which is currently being distributed. Visit Abigail’s website, www.footsteps4abigail.com

Tags: , , , Back to news