I lost my dad in 2005 to a pulmonary embolism (PE) caused by deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It was sudden. Dad had been complaining of pain in his back and leg for a few days and had a cough. The GP thought he had a chest infection, but the blood clot travelled to his lung. I was too late to say goodbye; by the time I arrived at the hospital, he had passed away. I will never forget that feeling. The last thing I said to him was, “I will bring you a piece of cake,” as it was my husband’s birthday the next day. I didn’t even give him a hug because I was rushing out the door.
Losing a parent so suddenly, especially at a young age (I was 22), really changes the way you look at life. Now, I constantly think, “What if?” I see life as “so short” and worry that I’m not doing enough to fulfil it. After all, my dad was only 55 when he passed away.
My dad was my inspiration to get back into running. A few years after he died, I ran the Manchester 10K in his memory. It was very emotional but a great day. At that time, I had no intention of running again, but a few years later, after starting a family, I decided to run the Manchester Half Marathon in 2023 to raise awareness about this silent killer. I also wanted to ensure I was healthy and lower my risk of DVT, especially as I had just turned 40. I completed my first half marathon in 2 hours and 24 minutes.
Then I thought, “Two halves make a whole,” so I ran the Manchester Half Marathon again this year and achieved a personal best of 2 hours and 17 minutes. I’ve raised over £1,500 for Thrombosis UK and hopefully raised plenty of awareness, too. I hope my dad would be proud.
Thank you Anna – everyone at Thrombosis UK is so proud and thankful to you.