16 Mar 2022 Community

Julie’s story- A powerful tale of running the Manchester Marathon in memory of her dad

In 2021, Julie, took up the challenge of running her first ever marathon in memory of her dad, Patrick. From complete novice to active runner, Julie trained hard to achieve her goal – all as a way of thanking The Kirkwood for the care her dad received. 

On Sunday 10th October 2021, Julie embarked on her first ever running challenge in memory of her dad, Patrick Kelly. Although she’d never done anything like it before, Julie was determined to overcome both the emotional and physical hurdles of preparing to complete her first ever race – the 26.2 mile Manchester Marathon. 
 
Patrick Kelly was a family man, very easy going and loved by many. He was diagnosed with cancer and received hospital treatment for his illness before spending his final week with The Kirkwood in early 2020.  
 
Julie spoke of her experience during their stay in The Kirkwood’s In-Patient Unit, expressing great gratitude to the clinical team. The care they offered helped the family to breathe again and allowed family members to be just that, a family, a daughter, son, wife, grandchild.  
 
“They were brilliant, they let you stay overnight, and it’s no bother.” said Julie. “We are so grateful for that as we couldn’t at the hospital, and you never know when it’s going to happen”. 
 
Patrick sadly died on Tuesday 4th February 2020, with his funeral held at the end of that month, right on the cusp of the coronavirus pandemic. Patrick’s ashes were held for almost a year at the funeral directors, before they were finally able to lay him to rest the following March, on what would have been his birthday. 
 
It was a difficult time for the family. Shortly after Patrick died, the family found themselves thrust into a global lockdown, unable to see family members and friends when they needed support the most. It was a particularly difficult time for Julie’s mum, Diane. 
 
“It was very hard for mum. She had the house and clothes to sort through and no one could visit to help her. We received check in calls from The Kirkwood team. This helped a little and we made use of their online services to access Support and Therapy during lockdown.” 

Fast forward to 2021, Julie had been making some lifestyle changes during the pandemic, with the decision to get healthier, initially starting with walking. 

Julie was also keen to raise money for The Kirkwood and decided to apply for a place in the Manchester Marathon alongside her daughter, Dannielle. Having never run in a race before, this was a big challenge for Julie. Her brother, Michael, a keen runner who had already signed up to take part in the Manchester Marathon, took Julie under his wing (and took her training very seriously). 
 

 
“I had a proper training plan in place and altered my diet and social habits to prepare for the day. I had never done a run before the marathon. Instead of starting with a smaller race I decided ‘let’s go big’.” 

“Sometimes they only like you to pledge to their sponsor charities that they have put forward, but I put down I wanted to run my own race and selected The Kirkwood as my choice.” 
 
Julie describes her first ever race as “a brilliant experience”. Unsure of what to expect and riddled with emotion and nerves, Julie was overwhelmed by the support of the spectators as they lined the streets, playing music from their homes and handing out drinks and sweets to keep hydration and sugar levels up, all while cheering them on. 
 
“The atmosphere was unreal” exclaimed Julie. 
 
With Michael the first of the family to finish, Julie and her daughter were also greeted at the finishing line by her partner, Dean, and her mum, Diane.  
 

Julie was determined to complete the race, and her motivation to support the charity who cared for her dad drove her on. 

“We wanted to say thank you to The Kirkwood for all they did in that final week for Dad. They gave us, our family time back, whilst they handled the rest. 

“I wanted to give back by raising the money, and help other families benefit from having the care and experience my dad did at the end of his life.” 
 
If you have been inspired by Julie’s story and have secured your own ballot place at an event this year, we'd be delighted if you would consider running for The Kirkwood. Your support will help us to care for those who need us most right here in Kirklees.