Trainee teacher with incurable liver disease to run marathon

Mr Smith said he has watched the London Marathon on television and has "always dreamt that may be me one day"

A 22-year-old with an incurable liver disease said running in next month's London Marathon is a "dream come true".

Louis Smith, from Salisbury, is running for the Children's Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF) and has already smashed his £2,000 fundraising target.

Born with biliary atresia, a disease of the liver and bile ducts, he has been in and out of hospital since birth.

He said: "Without my condition, I don't think I'd be anywhere near as determined as I am."

The trainee teacher was just two weeks old when he underwent his first surgical procedure. In the future, he said he has been told that a transplant is "inevitable".

According to the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), biliary atresia is a rare, life-threatening condition which affects the liver and bile ducts.

A surgical procedure to allow drainage of the bile ducts can prevent or delay the need for liver transplant.

To take on his first ever marathon, Mr Smith has been training steadily over the past few months and said "everything is going to plan".

"The main impact of my liver condition when training for an event like this is fatigue," he said.

"To date the furthest I've run is 21 to 22 miles but my training is going well and I'd like to do it in around three-and-a-half to four hours."

Mr Smith says fatigue is the main issue he faces training for a marathon with his condition

He said running in the London Marathon for a cause that was so close to his heart would "really be a dream come true".

"Now it's only weeks to go, I'm so excited for the big day," he said.

"I have watched the marathon on television for many years, and always dreamt that may be me one day."

Michelle Wilkins, from CLDF, said they were "thrilled" to see Mr Smith raising money for the charity in this way.

"By taking on a challenge like the London Marathon, he is providing a wonderful example to other young people with liver disease," she said.

"We feel incredibly proud and will be cheering him on on the day."

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