Dad Raises Almost £750 for Children’s Hospice in Memory of Late Daughter
Manchester, United Kingdom – Terry Farish, a father who had never participated in a 10k race before, recently completed the Heaton Park 10k and raised almost £750 for Francis House Children’s Hospice. The charity holds a special place in Terry’s heart as they provided his family with precious final moments with their one-year-old daughter, Aria.
Joined by his brother-in-law, Adam Barker, the two ran the race in support of Francis House Children’s Hospice, which they described as “wrapping our family in love and care when life became unbearably hard.”
Francis House Children’s Hospice is a Manchester-based organization that supports families of children and young people with life-limiting conditions. They provide one-to-one support during the most challenging times for families. The organization is the official charity partner of the Run Heaton Park series, which includes 5k, 10k, and half marathon races held within the 600 acres of parkland.
Reflecting on his experience, Terry said, “At the start line, I was nervous. Training runs were one thing, but keeping pace under pressure is a whole different beast. The first hill hit harder than I expected. When I saw my family holding the ‘Go Terry’ sign, it took everything in me not to crack right there.”
He also shared the inspiration that kept him going during the race, saying, “On the second lap, the hill nearly floored me, but then I thought about Aria. How even in her final moments, she never stopped fighting for each breath. That thought hits me every time it gets hard. She didn’t get to choose to stop fighting. I do, and that’s what keeps me moving forwards, knowing that if she could fight through that, I can fight through this.”
Aria was diagnosed with POLG, a life-limiting genetic disorder with no known cure, in March of this year. Her parents, Terry and Pooja, were told by doctors that the condition was like having a faulty battery, and Aria’s body was unable to replenish the energy in her cells to keep her alive.
After her diagnosis, the family was transferred from the hospital to Francis House Children’s Hospice on August 8. The next morning, surrounded by love in a comfortable and homely environment, Aria passed away.
In the days that followed, Terry and Pooja were supported by the hospice team, staying in one of the family flats and spending time with Aria in the Rainbow Room. Pooja expressed her gratitude, saying, “Being at Francis House at that time was like a home from home when we couldn’t get home. The doctors thought Aria didn’t have enough time to get home to Barrow, so when Francis House said she could come here, we were so relieved. It was the environment we wanted for our bright little girl when she passed away.”
She added, “We felt supported as well. If we didn’t have Francis House available at the end, I don’t know how we would have coped. We sat with the two nurses at Francis House, and it felt like we had family with us. We didn’t feel completely alone. We held Aria during her very difficult time, but Francis House held us during our difficult time.”
Terry and Adam ran the Heaton Park 10k with purple ribbons tied to their shoes. Terry finished the race in 50 minutes and 9 seconds, while Adam finished fifth overall with a new personal best.
Terry shared the significance of the race, saying, “What started as a tune-up race became something so much bigger. Francis House isn’t just a charity to us; it’s where Aria spent her final days, and where we were given a home from home. The care and compassion they showed us is something I’ll never forget, and running for them, and for her, is my way of giving a little of that love back.”
James Ferguson, fundraiser for Francis House Children’s Hospice, congratulated Terry and Adam on their incredible run and thanked all the runners for braving the weather and hills of Heaton Park. He also encouraged anyone interested in raising funds for Francis House at the next Run Heaton Park event on December 7 to register on their website.
Francis House Children’s Hospice is dedicated to providing support for families during the most challenging times and relies on donations to continue their important work. To learn more about their events and how you can get involved, visit https://www.francishouse.org.uk/get-involved/events/run-heaton-park-5k-10k-half-marathon/.
