Pippa, a primary school headteacher from Suffolk, is taking on the London Marathon this year in support of Dreamflight – inspired by one of her pupils, Edward.
Edward, 11, was diagnosed with a brain tumour at just 3 years old. Since then, he’s faced years of intensive treatment – including chemotherapy, proton beam therapy and ongoing challenges from hydrocephalus and hearing loss.
In October 2025 Edward went on a Dreamflight trip to Orlando. Spending time with other children who live with medical conditions made a real difference to him. His mum, Clare, shared:
“Edward has massively grown in confidence. Being around others that have disabilities and have experienced similar health challenges has shown him that he isn’t alone. I feel this has helped him to become more accepting of his deafness.”
Moved by the impact the trip had on Edward and inspired by his positive outlook, Pippa is now fundraising to help another child experience the same opportunity.
“Even though Edward faces big health challenges…he still comes into school with a huge smile and a positive attitude. He joins in with everything and even taught the whole school British Sign Language in assembly! He reminds us every day what resilience and joy really look like, I wanted to do something special to honour that.” – Pippa
The whole school has rallied behind Pippa, and with their support she is aiming to raise £3,000.
The fundraising efforts kicked off last month with pupils taking part in a Christmas-themed Silly Santa Run on their local green, Pippa shared:
“We have been completely overwhelmed by the support and generosity of our school community. It was such a joyful event and a brilliant way to kick-start the fundraising journey.”
Edward also took part in the run with his classmates, he said:
“It’s pretty cool that we’re all working together to give back to Dreamflight.”
Pippa and the school have more fundraising planned over the coming months, including cake sales and a quiz, all building up to her marathon in April. Click here to sponsor Pippa.
“This journey isn’t just mine – it belongs to all of us: the children, families, staff, and friends of the school. We want to show our children the power of coming together as a community to support others. It’s about strength, kindness and celebrating the amazing things that happen when we lift each other up.” – Pippa
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