AN Alton couple will be running the London Marathon next Sunday to raise money for Southampton Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House charity.

Jessica, 28, and Andrew Kennedy, 31, decided to take on the challenge to ‘run4ollie’ on behalf of close friends and fellow Alton residents Lauren Hill and Darren Bailey-Hill, whose first child, Oliver, was born with breathing difficulties.

Ollie arrived on January 2 at Basingstoke Hospital but was quickly transferred to the Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton where he remained in the neonatal intensive care unit for the first three weeks of his life.

According to his parents, the level of care their son received at the Princess Anne was “incredible”.

“They kept Oliver alive and made him stronger day by day,” said Darren.

But it became apparent that Ollie didn’t just suffer from breathing difficulties but had low muscle tone. He was transferred from intensive care to the children’s high-dependency unit at Southampton General.

“The high-dependency unit team have also been incredible and Oliver has come a long way since his neonatal days. He is able to have up to four hours off his breathing machine and his movement has improved,” said Lauren.

Although he “still has a long way to go”, the couple said they can’t thank the staff at the hospital enough and remain positive that Ollie will keep improving.

They have also expressed thanks to Ronald McDonald House – charity-run accommodation which provides a home away from home for parents needing to be close to their poorly children.

“Without the Ronald McDonald House we would have make a 60-mile round trip every day. Thanks to the house we’ve been able to spend every precious day with Oliver,” said his mum.

Thanks and good luck go also to Jessica and Andrew who are running to raise money for the hospital and Ronald McDonald House.

While Jessica, a web editor for Athletics Weekly, ran the London Marathon in 2014, on behalf of St Michael’s Hospice in memory of her father, Graham Whittington, for Andrew, an engineer working at Teledyne Impulse PDM in Alton, this will be his first marathon.

To donate, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/run4ollie2016.