Dan and Lottie with Phoebe
Bereaved dad Dan to run second London Marathon in memory of daughter Phoebe
After months of training, Dan Smith from Sherborne in Dorset will be one of thousands of runners taking on the TCS London Marathon

But for Dan, this challenge means much more than just completing 26 miles, he will be running in memory of his daughter Phoebe and raising money for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW), the charity that supported him and his wife Lotty. 

Phoebe was diagnosed with Krabbe disease, a rare genetic disorder of the nervous system, affecting around 1 in every 100,000 babies born.

Life expectancy of children with early infantile Krabbe disease is approximately 2 years. 

Phoebe Smith

Phoebe died peacefully in September 2020 aged 17 months after a stay at CHSW’s Charlton Farm hospice near Bristol. 

Dan said the hospice had helped him and Lotty make precious memories with Phoebe and supported them when they had to make difficult decisions about her end of life care.

“Charlton Farm was a place which allowed us to make special memories in a safe and relaxed environment. We had time in the hydrotherapy pool, fun in the garden going on a ‘lion hunt’, and splashing around in an outside paddling pool. We enjoyed music therapy, played with jelly, made footprints and the hospice even arranged a whole Disney Day, including Princesses, Minnie Mouse and even a special message from the Lion King cast.

“Not only did they allow us to make these memories but they were there to help with the medical side of Phoebe’s care, including medications, nutrition and helping us make informed decisions about Phoebe’s end of life care.

CHSW is a charity that is and will always be deep in our hearts. The staff at Charlton Farm were just incredible.

Since Phoebe’s death, Lotty and dad Dan have been keen fundraisers for CHSW.

Between them they have taken part in open water swims and ran half and full marathons, raising vital funds to help the hospice keep providing support to families like theirs.

Having run the London M

Dan running in a previous event
arathon in 2021, Dan said that he was excited for a second opportunity to take on the challenge.

Kylie Gallagher, Area Fundraiser for CHSW, said: “We are so grateful for the level of support Phoebe’s family provide, they are just incredible. We will be there every step of the way to support Dan in April, in memory of  Phoebe.” 

If you would like to support Dan with his fundraising please visit his online fundraising page.

More Fundraising stories