An aspiring dad ran more than 350km from London to Liverpool for his wife with a chronic disease.
John Harris, 32, got roughly four hours of sleep over the three-day journey, which raised more than £16k for the Endometriosis UK charity, including a £2k donation from an anonymous donor on Sunday morning. He set himself the challenge after seeing his wife Sophie, 33, suffer for years with debilitating and "crucifying abdominal pain" akin to appendicitis.
The incurable condition, affecting roughly one in ten women and some trans men and non-binary people, involves tissue similar to the lining of the womb growing elsewhere in the body. This causes chronic pain, heavy bleeding and can block bowels and causes fertility problems, which saw Sophie and John, from Caldy on the Wirral, go on a four-year "emotional rollercoaster" of miscarriages and IVF treatment from Care Fertility Clinic in Liverpool.
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Shortly before 2pm on Sunday, July 31, John arrived outside Care Fertility Clinic by the Pier Head to the sound of cheering friends and family. One man, 32-year-old Faisal Ali, travelled from Preston in Lancashire to show his support at the end of John's "mind blowing" journey to raise money and awareness for a "worthy cause" Faisal didn't previously know much about.
There to greet John at the finish line was Sophie, who said: "I feel completely overwhelmed, beyond proud that he has raised so much money for such a wonderful, amazing charity so close to our hearts, and I'm in awe of his physical feat. I think he's superhuman to run that distance in that time."
John, "very tired" from the run, told the ECHO: "I'm totally indebted to the people who have got me through this. It's a team sport. I'm just full of gratitude that my body let me do it and the people helped me to do it. Endometriosis isn't talked about and hopefully this can raise a little bit of cash and start a few conversations about the disease."
A spokesperson for Endometriosis UK said: "We're incredibly grateful to John for taking on this epic challenge and raising so much money for Endometriosis UK, and to wife Sophie for being so open in sharing her experience of living with the disease.
"The incredible amount of money raised will go a long way in helping us continue to be there for anyone affected by endometriosis, and raise vital awareness of this all too often ignored disease.
"By taking part in the challenge and sharing their story of how endometriosis has impacted their lives and fertility, they have no doubt helped so many others feel less alone at a time in their lives that can feel isolating. Thank you so much John and Sophie on behalf of everyone at Endometriosis UK – you're both incredible."
You can still donate to John and Sophie's fundraiser here.
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