A father runs a 10K race to honor his daughter’s memory and raise funds for Francis House Children’s Hospice.

Manchester, England – A father, who had never participated in a 10k race before, raised nearly £750 for charity in honor of his one-year-old daughter, Aria. Terry Farish and Aria’s uncle, Adam Barker, ran the Heaton Park 10k to support Francis House Children’s Hospice, a place they described as “wrapping our family in love and care when life became unbearably hard.”

Francis House Children’s Hospice is a Manchester-based charity that provides support to families of children and young people with life-limiting conditions. It is the official charity partner of the Run Heaton Park series, which includes 5k, 10k, and half marathon races held within the 600 acres of parkland.

Terry shared his experience of running the race, saying, “At the start line, I was nervous. Training runs were one thing, but keeping pace under pressure is a whole different beast. The first hill hit harder than I expected. When I saw my family holding the ‘Go Terry’ sign, it took everything in me not to crack right there.”

He continued, “On the second lap, the hill nearly floored me, but then I thought about Aria. She never stopped fighting for each breath, even in her final moments. That thought hits me every time it gets hard. She didn’t get to choose to stop fighting. I do, and that’s what keeps me moving forwards.”

In March of this year, Aria was diagnosed with POLG, a life-limiting genetic disorder for which there is no known cure. Her parents, Terry and Pooja, were told that her body was unable to replenish the energy in her cells to keep her alive, similar to a faulty battery. The family was transferred from the hospital to Francis House Children’s Hospice on August 8. The next morning, Aria passed away surrounded by love in a comfortable, homely environment.

In the days that followed, Terry and Pooja were supported by the hospice team, staying in one of the family flats and spending time with Aria in the Rainbow Room. Pooja shared, “Being at Francis House at that time was like a home from home when we couldn’t get home. The doctors thought Aria didn’t have enough time to get home to Barrow, so when Francis House said she could come here, we were so relieved. It was the environment we wanted for our bright little girl when she passed away.”

She continued, “We felt supported as well. If we didn’t have Francis House available at the end, I don’t know how we would have coped. We sat with the two nurses at Francis House, and it felt like we had family with us. We didn’t feel completely alone. We held Aria during her very difficult time, but Francis House held us during our difficult time.”

Pooja also emphasized the importance of children’s hospices, saying, “You don’t really think of children’s hospices until you need them. It’s not just end of life care; it’s during life, even just giving the families a break or being around others in a similar situation. After everything Francis House has done for us, we wanted to give back.”

With purple ribbons tied to their shoes, Terry crossed the finish line in 50 minutes and 9 seconds. Adam finished fifth overall with a new personal best. Terry said, “What started as a tune-up race became something so much bigger. Francis House isn’t just a charity to us; it’s where Aria spent her final days, and where we were given a home from home. The care and compassion they showed us is something I’ll never forget, and running for them, and for her, is my way of giving a little of that love back.”

James Ferguson, fundraiser for Francis House Children’s Hospice, expressed his gratitude to Terry and Adam, saying, “On behalf of Francis House, I’d like to congratulate them on an incredible run. They braved the weather and hills of Heaton Park, as did all our runners. Thank you for raising vital funds in support of the hospice.”

Those interested in raising funds for Francis House at the next Run Heaton Park event, held on December 7, can register on their website.