Lincolnshire dad running London Marathon to thank charity after daughter’s surgery

A dad from Lincolnshire is taking on the London Marathon this Sunday (October 2) to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust who supported him when his daughter underwent spinal surgery and suffered complications.

Steve Knight, who lives in Bourne, wants to thank the charity for keeping him close to his daughter, Hannah, when she had surgery to correct her curved spine in 2019.

Steve has set up a JustGiving fundraising page – make a donation here.

The Knight family. Left to right – Jared, Hannah, Steve, and Lucy.

When Hannah was 11-years-old she started complaining of back pain, and Steve and his wife Lucy noticed that one of her shoulder blades was also sticking out more than the other.

Hannah was referred to see a specialist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where she was diagnosed with scoliosis, but the family were told it would need to be monitored.

Two years later, in 2019, her condition deteriorated, and her curved spine was now affecting her lung function. The curve was compressing one of her lungs while pulling on the other making it hard for her to breathe.

The decision was made for Hannah to undergo a lengthy surgery to fix brackets to the individual vertebrae, which were then attached by metal rods to straighten and hold her spine in place.

The doctors only got three quarters of the way through the procedure however before they had to stop because Hannah’s heart and lungs couldn’t cope with the extended surgery.

Hannah then underwent a second surgery to complete the procedure, spending a total of 12 days on the paediatric intensive care unit.

Hannah has a great bond with her brother Jared.

Being 90 minutes away from their home Steve and Lucy faced long journeys to be by Hannah’s side. This was when they were supported by The Sick Children’s Trust and its ‘Home from Home’ Acorn House.

This gave them a free place to stay just minutes away from Hannah’s hospital bedside.

Steve said: “Acorn House was amazing and provided everything we needed during what was a really worrying time for us.

“We had a comfortable place where we could rest, cook proper meals and generally look after ourselves while always being close to Hannah’s side. Lucy and I split our time between our home and Acorn House so we could look after our son, Jared, while also being there for Hannah.

“Acorn House was exactly what it says on the door, it was our ‘Home from Home’ supporting us with everything we needed while Hannah was in hospital.

“Since her recovery Hannah has been doing brilliantly, she is back dancing and doing all things she enjoys. I started running a few years ago when Hannah and Jared wanted to do a 3K fun run.

“I’ve done a marathon before but I’ve always wanted to do the London Marathon. The Sick Children’s Trust means so much to us, so being able to take part while giving back to a charity which had such a big impact on our lives makes it even more special.”

Hannah loves dancing.

The Sick Children’s Trust is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and since 1982 it has supporting over 73,000 families, like Hannah’s, with a place to stay.

It does not charge families to stay in any of its 10 ‘Homes from Home’, but it does cost the charity £40 to support a family for one night.

The Knight family on the night of Hannah’s prom.

Community Fundraising Manager, Elisa Coppello-Dowd, said: “We’re so pleased we could support and Steve and Lucy to keep them close to Hannah’s side and its wonderful that she has been doing so well following her recovery.

“We can’t thank Steve enough for taking on the London Marathon to support us. We’ll be cheering him on every step of the way.

“While it is completely free for a family to stay in our ‘Homes from Home’, it does cost the charity £40 to support a family for one night.

“That is why the generosity of our supporters and the efforts of fundraisers like Steve are so vital in making sure we can continue to be there supporting more families.”