My name is Harry and when I was eight years old, my grandad, who was only 64 at the time, was taken into the care of Isabel Hospice after a difficult period in the hospital.

My memories of visiting him in the hospital are clouded by the sight of him looking sad and unwell, but his admission to Isabel Hospice changed that experience completely.

At the hospice, I never sensed that shadow of sadness that so often hovered over the hospital visits. The warmth and genuine care the staff showed each day made a lasting impact on me, even as a child.

Instead of dreading my visits to Isabel Hospice, I found myself looking forward to them. The hospice wasn’t just a place where my grandad spent his final days; it was a place where he, and all of us in the family, were cared for. The staff there provided not just medical care for him but emotional support for our family too.

I still vividly remember sitting with the family support team, painting rocks in bright, cheerful colours. Those painted rocks, which I later placed on my grandad’s grave, remain in my memory as a symbol of the care we were given during those difficult times.

Nearly 20 years have passed since then, but the memory of Isabel Hospice’s impact on me has not dimmed. When I was lucky enough to secure a ballot place for the London Marathon, the decision of which charity to support was one of the easiest I’ve ever had to make. I chose to run for Isabel Hospice, to give back to the place that gave us so much in our time of need.

Running the marathon is more than just a challenge to myself; it’s a way to honour my grandad’s memory and support a local charity where you can really see the impact of your contributions. I believe in helping where help is most felt, and for me, that’s right here, with Isabel Hospice, the place that helped make one of my family’s hardest experiences into happy memories for an eight-year-old boy.

You can contribute to Harry’s fundraising page here:
https://2024tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/harrytarbuck

Register your interest in running a marathon for Isabel Hospice in 2025 by clicking here:
https://www.isabelhospice.org.uk/interest-for-2025-marathons/