A BEREAVED Dorset man will be taking on his second London Marathon this year in aid of the charity which supported him and his wife.

Dan Smith, from Sherborne, lost his daughter Phoebe from Krabbe disease - a rare genetic disorder of the nervous system affecting about 1 in every 100,000 babies.

Life expectancy of children with early infantile Krabbe disease is approximately two years and Phoebe died peacefully in September 2020 aged 17 months after a stay at Charlton Farm hospice near Bristol, run by Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW).

Mr Smith will now be undertaking the famous marathon again and raising funds for the good cause, which he said enabled him and his wife Lotty to 'make precious memories' during his daughter's short life.

He has endured months of training and will be one of thousands of runners on the start line in the capital on April 23.

“CHSW is a charity that is and will always be deep in our hearts, ” Mr Smith said. "Charlton Farm was a place which allowed us to make special memories in a safe and relaxed environment.

"We had time in the hydrotherapy pool, fun in the garden going on a ‘lion hunt’, and splashing around in an outside paddling pool.

"We enjoyed music therapy, played with jelly, made footprints and the hospice even arranged a whole Disney Day, including Princesses, Minnie Mouse and even a special message from the Lion King cast.

“Not only did they allow us to make these memories but they were there to help with the medical side of Phoebe’s care, including medications, nutrition and helping us make informed decisions about Phoebe’s end of life care. The staff at Charlton Farm were just incredible.

"I know times are tight, and money is hard to part with, but any amount you can spare would be so valuable to families and children who are in the most painful and heartbreaking of situations."

Since Phoebe’s death, the pair have been keen fundraisers for CHSW and between them have taken part in open water swims and ran half and full marathons.

Having run the London Marathon in 2021, Dan added he was excited for a second opportunity to take on the challenge.

Kylie Gallagher, area fundraiser for CHSW, said: “We are so grateful by the level of support Phoebe’s family provide, they are just incredible.

"We will be there every step of the way to support Dan in April, in memory of Phoebe.”

If you would like to support Dan with his fundraising, visit his online page- www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Dan-Smith103