A MOTHER from Moulsford near Wallingford is taking part in a half marathon after being inspired when she met the parents of Skye Hall when her own daughter was seriously ill.

Languages teacher Grace Lancaster, 42, is taking part in the Reading Half Marathon on Sunday, April 3 to raise money for Blue Skye Thinking, a charity set up in memory of Skye Hall from Abingdon who died aged five in 2014 from side effects of treatment for an aggressive brain tumour.

Ms Lancaster said: "I have known about the charity since it’s conception as I was in hospital with my own daughter Lily, when she was undergoing treatment for leukaemia and so met Skye and his parents Sally and Andrew and their other son, Jesse.

"I gained first-hand experience of suffering from cancer and felt hugely inspired by Skye and his family’s ability to think of the bigger picture despite all the personal difficulties that they were going through on a day-to-day basis.

"I am the School’s Charity Coordinator at Moulsford Prep School and as Blue Skye Thinking is an Oxfordshire-based charity, I decided to suggest them as the school charity.

"I was so lucky with Lily but there are still lots of parents out there who haven’t been, and have had to face losing their child and it is for them that I am running this race."

Ms Lancaster is hoping to raise more than £1,000.

All the money the charity raises goes into research into new treatments for childhood cancer.

Mother of Skye, Sally Hall, 37, said: "You form a special bond with families when you are on a hospital ward, so it is really touching that Grace has chosen to support us in this way."

To support Grace please visit virginmoneygiving.com/GraceLancaster73