Carys Gilbert, 31, is running the London Marathon in memory of her dad, Neal, who was treated at Queen’s Hospital for a rare blood cancer before he died in March this year.

Carys is running to raise funds for Sky B ward, where Neal, 63, was cared for. She has raised more than £4,600 for the King George and Queen’s Hospital Charity ahead of the 26-mile-long race on Sunday 27 April.

Neal, from Hutton, was diagnosed with high-grade B-cell CNS lymphoma in October 2024, a type of cancer which starts in B-cells, which are white blood cells that helps the body fight off infection.

Due to the nature of his illness, Neal had to be put into isolation for weeks at a time and watching TV on the ward helped him when he was apart from his family.

Carys, from Billericay, is raising funds for our charity to make improvements on the ward and help future chemotherapy patients and their families.

She said:

I want to help out where I can and my dad’s care was very good, so I’m raising money to give something back. 

The staff on Sky B were very caring and they brought a lot of comfort to him. They helped keep my dad’s spirits up with their positive attitude and always made time to answer our questions. 

TV brought my dad much comfort when he was apart from us and I’m raising money so that other chemotherapy patients who can’t see their families feel a little less alone.

Neal, a father of two and a grandfather of two, had worked in a bank before becoming a porter at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex.

Kyra Swaby, Communications and Marketing Officer for the King George and Queen’s Hospital Charity, said:

We are incredibly grateful to Carys for choosing to support King George & Queen’s Hospitals Charity in memory of her dad.

Her dedication to fundraising for Sky B Ward, where he was cared for, is truly inspiring.

Every pound raised will help us continue providing vital support to patients and families going through difficult times. We’ll be cheering her on every step of the way.

If you would like to donate, please see Carys’s JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/carys-gilbert-1.