A MAN from Cheddar is running his last marathon in support of charity Smile Train.
Terry Bird, 51, is set to undertake his sixth marathon next month to raise money for Smile Train, a cleft-focused charity which assists children with cleft care.
Terry’s son Josh was born with a bilateral cleft lip, which had not been picked up by pre-natal scans.
Terry said: “We had to process things quickly and come to terms with what lay ahead.
“But the South West Cleft Unit team were fantastic from the first day, and Josh’s support throughout his first 14 years has been amazing.”
In a bid to give back and ensure children around the world are given the same treatment as his son, Terry has taken on many challenges over the years, raising more than £20,000 for cleft-related charities.
Terry has called his upcoming marathon the ‘never again’ marathon after vowing never to do another after his last.
So far £2.8k has already been raised for the run, Terry said: “We held a school disco back at the start of February where a bunch of grown-ups all turned up in school uniform for a great 80s throwback.
“That was a lot of fun and the profits helped to put £300 into the fundraising total.”
He also said: “With the support of a network of great friends and supporters, fundraising has been going very well so far, but we can always go higher of course. Every penny counts.”
To read more about Terry’s story and donate to his cause, visit www.justgiving.com/page/terry-bird-run-london.
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