A University of Birmingham Law student is taking on the Morrisons Great Birmingham Run this October to raise money for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB), which treated her mother for a rare neurological illness.

Charlotte Smith, a 21-year-old law student at the University of Birmingham, will tackle Birmingham’s famous half marathon on Sunday 16 October, in a bid to raise funds for QEHB Charity, which supports patients and staff at the largest single-site NHS hospital in the UK. She chose to run for QEHB after her mother, Deborah, was admitted to hospital three years ago.

“My mom was having trouble walking, and it got to a point where she couldn’t get out of bed,” Charlotte says, remembering the period before her mother received a diagnosis. Thirteen years previously, Deborah had received treatment for a brain haemorrhage at QEHB which meant she had to have a metal plate inserted into her skull. She returned to QEHB in January 2013 and was admitted to a neurology ward to await her diagnosis.

“During her stay in the hospital, Mom got quite a bit worse.  She ended up completely unable to walk and lost some of the use in her arms,” Charlotte continues.

“She was admitted some time in January and stayed in the hospital undergoing tests and treatments on Ward 411, under the care of Dr Sturman and Dr Rajabally. Eventually, they concluded she had a very rare neurological illness called autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy (AAG).”

AAG is a rare disease which currently has no cure, meaning that treatment for people living with AAG mostly involves helping to manage symptoms, which can include extremely low blood pressure when standing, fainting, fixed or dilated pupils, and gastrointestinal problems.

“As there was nothing else the doctors could do for her, she was taken to a care home closer to where we live and she has been there ever since, occasionally coming back to QEHB for treatment and appointments.”

Now, Charlotte will take on the Great Birmingham Run for QEHB Charity. This year, QEHB Charity is giving runners the option to join one of three sub-teams; Team Doctor, Team Nurse, and Team Patient. Charlotte has signed up for Team Doctor.

She says: “I'm running for Team Doctor because I don't know what we would have done without those doctors. The care they gave my mom was second to none.

“I was 17 at the time, studying to get into University, and Dr Sturman even wrote a letter for me to send to the law school about what had happened and how it affected me.”

Now in her third year at law school, Charlotte is putting in the hours of training to prepare herself for the half marathon, despite “not really doing anything sporty”. She’s busy running and swimming almost every day to maximise her stamina before the race, and is excited to see her efforts pay off on Sunday 16 October: “I’ve already told my friend to be waiting for me at the finish line with a large bottle of Prosecco!”

Charlotte is hoping to raise funds for QEHB Charity, to help it keep supporting the hospital and the patients, like her mom, who are treated there.

She says: “I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the hospital, and all of the staff on Ward 411. It was an emotional eight months, and the support my family and I received in this time was outstanding. I couldn't be more grateful.”

To donate to Charlotte’s JustGiving page, please go to justgiving.com/fundraising/Charlotte-Smith91

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