Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Neil Pooran

Man who lost four family members to cancer will run London Marathon in their memory

A man who lost four members of his family to cancer will run the London Marathon in their memory.

A rare genetic condition meant several members of Mark Gray's family have been diagnosed with cancer in his lifetime - four of which died and two survived.

The 47-year-old, who grew up in Prestonpans and now stays in Blackpool, feared the worst when he himself fell ill last year.

But fortunately the illness did not turn out to be cancer, and the scare has prompted him to look after his health and enroll in the London Marathon. this Sunday

East Lothian mum on her little boy's brave battle with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy 

Many members of his family still stay in East Lothian. He lost his dad to lung cancer when he was 20 and two siblings afterwards.

Mark says he's trying to stay positive and is raising money for the Institute of Cancer Research.

He says: "Having several close family members diagnosed with cancer four of which lost their fight and two who beat it , I decided to run the Marathon in their memory. 

"I chose to run for the ICR to help raise funds to speed up their  progress in defeating cancer.

Edinburgh Marathon 2019 – 25 and 26 May. How to enter, start times, locations, routes and more 

"This time last year I couldn't even run for the bus so through hard work and dedication I aim to run the London Marathon - I know it will be hard and more than likely painful but compared to the battles those living with or fighting Cancer face it is a drop in the ocean."

You can contribute to Mark's crowdfunder here.

To receive one WhatsApp message a day with Edinburgh Live's headlines, as well as breaking news alerts, text NEWS to 07899067815. Then add the number to your contacts as 'Edinburgh Live'.

For more stories from across the Edinburgh area like our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

You can also subscribe to our newsletter: enter your email in the blue box at the top of this article.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.