Peterborough mum, son and daughter take on London Marathon for causes close to family's hearts

A Peterborough mum, son and daughter are all taking on a huge personal challenge this year – to each run the London Marathon on April 23.

Jacky Cooke, 52, from Stanground, bagged a ballot entry and is running the marathon for the sheer love of it, after getting into fitness aged 50, from trialling the beginners running app, Coach to 5k.

Brother and sister Del, 29, and Tiffany Dunworth, 26, are then pairing up to run the 26 miles for Meningitis Research Foundation after their younger half-brother, Rico, survived contracting Meningitis B back in 2016, aged 9.

Rico contracted a rare form on Meningococcal Septicaemia and, in matter of hours, was rushed to the intensive care unit at Glenfield Hospital, in Leicester, and was placed into an induced coma.

Despite it now being six years on, the memory of that day is still felt within the family – but, thankfully, Rico, now 15, is fighting fit, practising mixed martial arts, boxing and giving motivational talks to school pupils.

Del said: “He did not give up when they said he was not going to wake up. He kept getting a little but better, one tube was taken out and one more.

"In the beginning, me and Tiffany were like his little heroes.

"He will be the magnet that will lead me from the start to the finish line.”

After five days of not knowing whether he would survive in 2016, Rico’s family were told he would eventually awaken – but life would be very different for him.

Due to severe thrombosis in his legs, caused by the Septicaemia, shortly after waking, Rico was transferred to Leicester Royal Infirmary to undergo a series of amputations to his lower limbs.

Following multiple gruelling surgeries he was transferred back to Peterborough, to recover in the Children's Amazon Ward.

Del added: “As Rico has progressed through his childhood and grown with age, it has been difficult to find comfortable prosthetic to meet his needs, often travelling long distances for specialist appointments due to pain in his back and spine.

“Although the physical scars may have healed, it's often the mental and emotional scars that linger.

“Now, 15 years old, Rico has found it difficult to find his place amongst his peers due to missing vital years of his development and school life.”

Rico is currently undergoing assessments and brain scans as specialists believe he may have suffered an Acute Brain Injury caused by the Meningitis.

Del added: “It's an honor to run such a prestigious event for a cause so close to my family's heart. This is made even more exciting for me due to the fact that I'll be running with my mum and sister, I honestly thought I was the only bonkers one in my family.

“I will be thinking about making Rico proud in April and, more importantly, I try to be that beacon for him.”

To donate to Del and Tiffany’s fundraiser, which has so-far raised more than £1,800, head to Just Giving.