Wife’s 500km running challenge to support those caring for her husband after cancer diagnosis
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
An Ilkley woman whose husband was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) just weeks ago is taking on a 500km running challenge to raise money for the team caring for him at Bradford Royal Infirmary.
On 16 July 2026, William Brett, owner of William David Hair {AVEDA] in Ilkley, was diagnosed with ALL, a type of blood cancer that requires intensive treatment. His diagnosis changed life for him, wife Hannah and their family overnight, and he is now receiving intensive chemotherapy on the Annette Fox Ward at Bradford Royal Infirmary.
While facing an incredibly difficult time, Hannah has been inspired by the care William has received from the doctors, nurses and wider team on the ward.
“The care William has received has been nothing short of incredible,” she said. “The doctors, nurses and staff have looked after him with such skill, compassion and endless patience — and probably deserve medals for putting up with him.”
To show her gratitude and raise funds to support others facing leukaemia and serious blood disorders, she has set herself the challenge of running 500km, culminating in the Great Manchester Half Marathon on 23 May 2027.
The challenge will raise money for the Annette Fox Leukaemia Research Fund, which supports research and helps improve the care and comfort of patients with leukaemia and other serious blood disorders.
The fund supports a range of initiatives, including specialist nurse training, patient support services, equipment to enhance the patient experience, research, and financial assistance for families experiencing hardship.
And if the 500km target is reached before the half marathon, Hannah has plans to make the challenge even bigger: “If I somehow manage to hit the 500km target before the half marathon, I’ll increase it. It seems only fair that if people are kind enough to donate, I should be daft enough to keep running.”
The challenge is not only about raising money, but about giving something back to the people who are helping William and his family through one of the toughest periods of their lives.
Hannah added: “I never imagined that I’d voluntarily sign up to run 500km.
“If you’d told me a month ago, I’d have laughed in your face. Yet here we are.
“If you can spare a few pounds, I’d be incredibly grateful. If you can’t, sharing my fundraising page or cheering me on as I inevitably start questioning my life choices somewhere around kilometre 347 would mean just as much.
“Thank you for reading, for supporting my challenge, and for helping me give something back to the people who are helping us through the toughest time of our lives.”
William has just finished week three of chemotherapy and said on the business Facebook page: “I’ll probably save my next update for the end of this first phase in another couple of weeks. I’ll be having my 3rd bone marrow biopsy to see if we’ve got this bugger under some form of control, so we can move on to the intense phase of chemo!
“Thank you again to everyone for the constant messages of encouragement and support. They genuinely mean the world to me — and give me something to do.
“And a huge thank you to everyone who has supported my wife’s fundraising page, whether through a donation or simply sharing it, in aid of the Annette Fox Foundation.”
To support Hannah and William's fundraising please visit their JustGiving page.
