Jane from Slaithwaite near Huddersfield is preparing to run the 2025 London Marathon on Sunday, April 27, to honour her daughter, Ella, who tragically passed away from leukaemia in July 2021 at the age of just 24.
She’s running to raise money for the Ella Dawson Foundation, a charity set up in Ella’s name to support young adults facing cancer—a cause deeply close to the hearts of those who knew and loved her.
Jane said: “Ella loved life. She was kind, very creative and incredibly brave. From the time she was little she always saw the beauty and hope in every single day, no matter what was going on around her.
That never changed, even during her two-year battle with a devastating and aggressive form of leukaemia. She met each challenge with courage, hope and a light that continued to shine brightly. Ella was determined to ‘live well and prove that all is not lost when you are a young person diagnosed with cancer.’”
A cancer diagnosis is life-shattering at any age, but for young adults it can feel especially isolating. Just as life is beginning—careers, relationships, independence—everything is suddenly put on hold as aggressive treatments and huge emotional, physical, and practical challenges take over.
Ella felt all of this during her illness but found that wellbeing support dedicated to the unique needs of young adults was lacking. In response, she created a psychological, physical, nutritional and wellbeing blueprint to help others. That blueprint became the heart of the Ella Dawson Foundation, her legacy.
Jane added: “Losing Ella has shattered our hearts and lives in ways words can’t even express, but we are keeping her light and energy alive by providing much-needed support to other young adults and families facing the heartbreak of cancer, offering them the strength, support, and hope that Ella so passionately believed in.”
Since its launch in 2022 the Foundation has supported more than 1,000 young people and is now a referral pathway for 64 hospitals as more and more young adults and their families reach out for wellbeing support they struggle to find elsewhere.
This will be Jane’s first marathon, having only ever completed a couple of 10Ks and a half marathon many years ago. In what would have been Ella’s 28th birthday year, Jane’s goal is to raise £2,800 to help meet the growing demand for the charity’s vital services.
Jane said: “I started training back in the autumn. I wanted to give my body the best chance of getting to the finish line. Training through the winter has been really hard, out in all weathers and with the inevitable setbacks of having to manage pain and injuries as the mileage picked up.
"It is, however, an absolute privilege to be able to run in the London Marathon, to honour Ella and to raise funds to make a difference for other young people like her.
"We know as a family how vital this support is and every donation, no matter the size, really helps us to make a difference.”
The Ella Dawson Foundation provides emotional, physical, nutritional and wellbeing support to young people with cancer and their families.
If you want to follow in Jane’s footsteps and run for the charity in the London Marathon from 2026 onwards, reach out to them at hello@elladawsonfoundation.org.uk.
You can support Jane’s London Marathon effort by donating at: Jane dawson is fundraising for The Ella Dawson Foundation
For more information on the charity go to https://www.elladawsonfoundation.org.uk