Ollie Brett from Colchester will be running his first marathon next weekend (October 20) when he takes on the Chelmsford Marathon. The 47 year old carpenter, who admits he is not a runner, is aiming to raise as much as he can for Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF) a cause very close to his heart.
“Our five year old daughter Amelia was born with the rare liver disease, biliary atresia, which means her bile ducts did not form properly,” explains Ollie. “When she was diagnosed, my wife Kerrie and I were surprised by how little was known about this condition and how easily red flag signs like pale stools and infant jaundice can be overlooked. CLDF were a great source of comfort and gave us much needed information at a time when we were confused and upset while Amelia had surgery to remove her gall bladder and connect her liver to her gut when she was just eight weeks old.

“She is now doing better than we could ever have hoped. She enjoys school, dancing and pony trekking but we know that she will probably need a liver transplant in the next 15 years, and we will need the support of CLDF once more.
“As well as the support and information they provide, CLDF fund research into childhood liver disease and hopefully one day this research will lead to procedures that mean liver transplants will be a thing of the past. They don’t get the publicity that a lot of other charities get but they mean a great deal to our family. I wanted to give something back and after a conversation with a friend at a barbecue in the summer I ended up entering the Chelmsford Marathon!
“Training has been going really well with a mixture of long runs and shorter runs up and down North Hill, and although I have picked up a slight strain to my Achilles tendon, I’m confident of completing the course. I’ve already hit my original fundraising target and now want to raise as much as I can.”
Alison Taylor, Chief Executive of Children’s Liver Disease Foundation commented: “CLDF is the only UK charity dedicated to fighting all childhood liver diseases, and we rely on voluntary donations, so we are delighted that Ollie has decided to run his first marathon for us and we hope he thoroughly enjoys the experience.”
You can support Ollie by going to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/oliver-brett2