A six-year-old boy from Essex who suffered a brain injury so severe that his parents were told he would never walk is running 50 miles for charity.
Jacob Tompkins from Hatfield Peverel near Chelmsford was inspired to take on the epic challenge after watching the Pride of Britain Awards on TV.
His goal is to run a mile a day for 50 days and he hopes to raise money for the Dream Factory, a charity which grants wishes to children and young adults with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions or severe disabilities.
Jacob is also an ambassador for the charity which was founded by Avril Mills after she lost her son aged nine to Leukemia.
Jacob was once described as a ‘miracle baby’ after he was stillborn but survived.
When Jacob was born without a heart rate, doctors desperately tried to resuscitate him – but it took 22 minutes before he started breathing.
Now he is busy raising money for charity and almost half way through his challenge having already completed 20 out of 50 runs.
His parents say the challenge is something they never thought he would be able to do.
When asked how he felt about running one mile every day, Jacob said he “felt really tired” and “needed to go to bed when he got home”.
But he said “it was more important that cuddles” to raise the money for the charity.
The Pride of Britain Fundraiser of the Year award for the west of the Anglia region was pub landlady Teresa McCarthy from Northampton.
Meanwhile Norfolk knitter Margaret Seaman won the Pride of Britain Fundraiser of the Year award for the east of the Anglia region.
