Express & Star

Staffordshire father to run marathon in aid of Coeliac UK

A father will be running this year's London Marathon for the second time to raise funds for Coeliac UK after his daughter was diagnosed with the disease.

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Chris Lakin, from Great Haywood near Stafford, is preparing to run in this year’s Virgin London Marathon on April 28.

The 43-year-old is running the London Marathon for the second time, to raise funds for Coeliac UK, the national charity for people with coeliac disease.

He decided to run for Coeliac UK because his five-year-old daughter Elsie has recently been diagnosed with coeliac disease.

Following her diagnosis and being on a strict gluten free diet, her symptoms are now under control, but for some time prior to being diagnosed she was very poorly with weight loss and serious stomach pains that lasted for months.

Chris said: “I am running the London Marathon this year to raise awareness of the disease and to raise funds for Coeliac UK because my five-year-old suffers from the disease and it’s great that Coeliac UK will be there cheering for us on the day!

“This will be my 17th marathon and I hope to finish it in under four hours and aim to raise £500 for Coeliac UK come the big day.

"I am very happy to do my bit to raise awareness of coeliac disease by running the London Marathon.

"If it means that just one more person thinks that it's worth getting tested as a result then that would be fantastic."

Coeliac disease is a serious autoimmune disease caused by intolerance to gluten.

When gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye and barley) is eaten, damage to the gut lining occurs.

There is no cure or medication for the condition - the only treatment is a lifelong, strict gluten free diet.

If someone with coeliac disease does not stick to a gluten free diet, the disease can lead to other conditions such as malnutrition, osteoporosis and small bowel cancer.

As many as one in four people with coeliac disease were previously misdiagnosed with IBS as many of the symptoms for IBS such as bloating, stomach pains or cramps, diarrhoea or constipation and feeling exhausted are the same as the symptoms of coeliac disease.

For more information, visit www.coeliac.org.uk/AW19 .

To sponsor Chris, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chris-lakin24