Tring dad raises thousands for Children’s Liver Disease Foundation inspired by stepson with rare disease

A dad from Tring has raised nearly £3,000 after he ran the London Marathon on Sunday (October 2) for the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF) to honour his stepson.

Steven Grant was one of the thousands taking to the streets of London for the race and ran to raise funds for the charity which helps children, like his stepson Joshua.

Joshua was born with the rare liver disease, biliary atresia, a condition where the bile ducts haven't formed properly, leading to a complete blockage of bile flow from his liver.

He underwent a five-hour operation when he was weeks old to help the bile to flow and whilst this was a success, Steven says that Joshua will always have liver disease and will likely need a liver transplant one day.

The 14-year-old has portal hypertension and an enlarged spleen which he has annual medical checks at Birmingham Children’s Hospital so that his condition can be closely monitored.

Steven explained: “Despite all this, he is a very happy, sporty and outgoing young lad. His condition doesn’t hold him back. He lives life to the full and his confidence and strength in life is what makes us so very proud of him.”

The 43-year-old added: “We owe everything to the amazing liver team at Birmingham Children's hospital and to the Liver Foundation for continuing to carry out research into Liver Disease.”

The dad, who works in the City, had his training disrupted by injuries but managed to finish the marathon in five hours and 27 minutes despite being unwell.

Chief executive of Children’s Liver Disease Foundation Rebecca Cooper said: “CLDF is the only UK charity dedicated to fighting all childhood liver diseases, by providing information and emotional support, funds for research and a voice for all those affected.”

Rebecca added: “In order to do this, however, we rely on voluntary donations, so we are so grateful that Steven did the London Marathon for us.”

He smashed his target of £2,000 and still has more donations coming in.

Donations can be made to Steven’s page here.