Great Glen: Man's ultramarathon in memory of 'beautiful' niece

Grace underwent chemotherapy but the tumour was too aggressive for her to survive

A man is to run an ultramarathon to raise money in memory of his niece who died from a brain tumour.

Michael Parr, said he was left broken-hearted by the death of Grace Kelly, 12, from Great Glen in Leicestershire.

A routine trip to the opticians led to the discovery of the aggressive tumour in August 2021 and she died within a year.

Mr Parr, 32, will run 62 miles (100km) on 25 May to support the Brain Tumour Research charity.

"I'm doing this in memory of Grace," he said. "She was my first niece and I thought of her as if she was my own child.

"When she died, it broke my heart, and it still does."

Mr Parr has set himself a target to raise £1,000 in his niece's memory

Mr Parr, who is also from Great Glen, added: "She was such a beautiful and nice young girl.

"She was so caring and kind, and she always had a positive attitude.

"I miss her every day. I really want to help find a cure for other people who are faced with this devastating disease."

He has so far gathered more than £900 in sponsorship pledged for his run between London and Brighton.

Ashley McWilliams, the charity's community development manager, said: "Grace's story is, sadly, not unique. Brain tumours kill more children than leukaemia and more women under 35 than breast cancer.

"We're really grateful to Michael for taking on this ultramarathon."