A determined Mansfield man is to tackle the London Marathon in memory of his courageous son — and help brighten the short lives of other sick children.

Shaun Eden-Taylor has pledged to raise money for Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People by running the famous race his son, George, had wanted to complete with him.

George suffered a serious brain injury shortly after his premature birth, which meant he could not walk, talk or eat and was reliant on a specialist team of carers — but he had a normal IQ.

The Loughborough-based hospice helped the family — including George’s mum, Natasha, and his sister, Ebonie — during the early years of the youngster’s life.

George, who died in 2020 aged 14, previously took part in the Mansfield 10k with his dad, raising £3,000 for the hospice, and had dreamed of joining the London Marathon too.

Shaun, a self-employed wall and floor tiler with 30 years’ experience serving Mansfield and the surrounding areas, said: “One of George’s wishes was that we would run the London Marathon together, so in memory of my George and to live his wish and a dream of mine, I am running in his memory.

“I am running this for my boy. He will be with me, I know. I am also 50 in May, so the time feels right.

“Far too many children leave us too early and, sadly, Rainbows families know this all too well.

“So please can you sponsor me to raise as much as I can to donate to an amazing charity, which assists with not only palliative care but also gives families with children who have a different path in life both happiness and memories they will treasure.”

George was born 12 weeks prematurely and weighed just 2lbs 7ozs at Nottingham City Hospital in 2006.

Shaun recalled: “Sadly, things didn’t go well and my son was brain injured after his birth. As you can imagine, this was beyond devastating.

“Everything I had ever thought I would do and share with my son felt like was going to be impossible.”
He suffered from athetoid cerebral palsy, which affected both his motor skills and co-ordination, but George had a normal IQ. However, his battling qualities and positive outlook led local people to stage many fundraising events over the years to help George, his family, and Fountaindale School, where the youngster attended.

Shaun added: “Fast forward to when George was 10 and wow, what a boy! Nothing stopped this lad, he was truly inspiring to anyone who knew him. We decided we would run our local Mansfield 10k together. I pushed him and his equipment — and together we achieved something that had felt impossible years before.

“His chosen charity was Rainbows because for the first five years of George’s life they were so kind and helpful to us as a family, which was so important because by 2010 we were a family of four when our beautiful Ebonie was born.

“Rainbows offered us respite care for George, who needed 24 hours a day care, to allow us to enjoy our new baby daughter.

“So George wanted to say a big thank you, as did I. Together we raised almost £3,000.

“Fast forward again to 2020 and my son lost his fight. My gorgeous George passed away on 10th November. It was totally unexpected for us all.

“George’s final days were the worst I have ever experienced. The pain is unimaginable.

“One of George’s wishes was that we run the London Marathon together, so in memory of my George and to live his wish and a dream of mine, I am running in his memory.

“I appreciate that times are hard for many financially but every pound really does count. So from myself and George, thank you for any donation.

The London Marathon is on Sunday, 27th April. To support Shaun, who will be part of Team Rainbows, and make a donation, go to www.justgiving.com and search for shaun-running-in-george’s-memory