Mark's run for Kidney Care UK

Mark is pulling out the stops by running all 26.2 miles of the Dublin Marathon taking place on Sunday, October 29 to help kidney patients and their families.

Mark’s late mum Audrey Gordon received the gift of life in the form of a kidney transplant in 1994. It was always the lifelong Lurgan lady’s wish that if Mark were ever to take on the challenge of a marathon he would do so to help patients and support organ donation.

Speaking as he launched his Just Giving Page Mark said: “As a family we remember the amazing telephone call that mum received to tell her that a transplant organ was available for her.

“She benefited so much from the selfless generosity of a family who we will never know and in a small way, by fundraising to help transplant patients and their families, I am joining her in repaying that generosity.

“Mum lived her life to honour her gifted kidney and I’m so proud to be able to do this marathon to honour her, to give back to those living with kidney failure and waiting on a transplant, and to help as many people as possible because of our own unique link to the transplant family.”

Mark’s family, wife Pamela – a classroom assistant at Waringstown Primary School - daughters Rebekah (14), Alexandra (11) and son Adam (10) are all cheering him on.

Supporting Mark in his marathon effort former MLA and Organ Donation Champion Jo-Anne Dobson said: “When Mark contacted me to say he was going to run the Dublin Marathon in memory of his mum Audrey I was absolutely thrilled.

“Mark is supporting a charity which provides practical support directly to kidney patients and their families, this could be literally anything from advice and guidance to home heating oil as transplant patients always need extra heat at home.

“I would encourage people to get behind Mark in his effort, to check out his ‘Just Giving’ page to learn more about his very personal reason for fund raising and please give generously to an important cause which touches the lives of so many people.”

Robert Hope, Head of Fundraising at Kidney Care UK said: “As a charity we receive no government funding. We are only able to offer the support we do thanks to the wonderful efforts of individuals like Mark.”

Marks Justgiving Page is www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/mark-gordon15.