Parents to run half marathon for wishes charity

Her parents said Rosie had a "great love" of Paddington Bear which started during her cancer treatment

A mum and dad said they were left in a "black hole" after their child's cancer diagnosis.

Chris and Jenny, from Wolverhampton, were told their daughter Rosie had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2015, when she was three years old.

She underwent successful treatment and her parents will take part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon to raise money for a children's wishes charity which supported them.

The couple will run through the capital on Sunday in aid of Warwickshire-based Molly Ollys.

During Rosie's treatment, which included two periods in intensive care at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, the charity gave the youngster a special treat.

She followed in the footsteps of her favourite character on a guided Paddington Bear tour of London.

Jenny explained: "We started reading a Paddington Bear book she had chosen while she was in the hospital ward, thinking she may be able to hear us.

"When she came round she remembered it and even knew where we were up to in the story and wanted to carry it on. That started a great love of Paddington Bear for her."

Chris and Jenny will run the London Landmarks Half Marathon on Sunday in aid of Molly Ollys

Rosie, now 12, ended her treatment in May 2018.

Preparing to take on Sunday's challenge with his wife, Chris said Rosie's diagnosis left the family feeling like the rug had been pulled from under them.

"Everything came to an end and normal life just stopped there and then," he said.

"We felt like we were in a black hole. You don’t ever think something like this will happen to you... but it did happen to us and it was an incredibly hard time.”

Rosie, now 12, ended her leukemia treatment in 2018

Chris and Jenny hope to raise £700 which will be used to support children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

Molly Ollys was established in Warwickshire in 2011 by Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw following the death of their eight-year-old daughter Molly from a rare kidney cancer.

Rosie with her brother in London, where she got to follow in the footsteps of Paddington Bear thanks to the Molly Ollys charity