Abingdon dad takes on Oxford Half Marathon for his son

Lawrence Hutton is gearing up for the running event this weekend, his fourth sporting challenge of the year, all in support the Oxford Children’s Hospital.

The 32-year-old from Abingdon works at the Churchill Hospital as a Clinical Scientist in the Radiation Physics and Protection Department.

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But it’s his three-and-a-half-year-old son, Josh, who has motivated him to go the extra mile.

He said: “When he was little, Josh was diagnosed with a very rare genetic condition called KBG syndrome, which affects only 400 people worldwide.

"Some of his symptoms include developmental delays, he has a short stature, misshapen forehead and low tone in his muscles, which means he gets tired very quickly and needs help with his walking."

“The hospitals have supported Josh - and us - and continue to do so with regular reviews and treatment and we are incredibly grateful for all they do.”

By the age of three and a half, Josh has been treated by over 12 departments across the John Radcliffe Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre – and Mr Hutton wants them all to know the difference they have made.

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This weekend’s Oxford Half Marathon is the last event of his year of fundraising, which has included the OX5 Run in March, the Blenheim Palace Triathlon (Sprint distance) in May and the London Triathlon (Olympic distance) in August.

"We owe so much to the Genetics department here in Oxford,” he said “The department carried out Whole Genome sequencing to identify his syndrome.

“We were one of the first families to have this done in Oxford on the NHS and this was how we found out about his genetic syndrome and potential future care needs.

“These events have been our way give something back for all the care and input that we have received. We want to raise as much money as possible so that these amazing services can continue to support so many children and their families, like ours”

Jane Bray, from Oxford Hospitals Charity, added: “Lawrence’s fundraising throughout the year has been inspirational and we can’t thank him enough.

“The Children’s Hospital and children’s team at the NOC will benefit greatly from his donation which is already over £1,600, which is just fantastic.”

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Mr Hutton has already raised £1,650 for the charity, beating his initial target of £1,000.

If you would like to donate to Mr Hutton’s JustGiving page, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/lawrence-hutton1

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Read more from this author

This story was written by Gee Harland. She joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford, Wantage and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland

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