Dad who completed marathon in honour of son walks 100k with 20kg weight
Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing
A dad who made the news for running the London Marathon with 20kg on his back in honour of his late son, has recently gone one step further.
Back in April, Ceri Menai-Davies shared the huge achievement online, as he sported a shirt that read: "I'm carrying 20kg. The weight of my son when he died at 6. The weight of grief. The weight of cancer."
But now, four years on from the death of his son Hugh due to a rare form of cancer, he has managed to walk over 100km from Addenbrooke's Hospital to Downing Street, in a call to Number 10 to introduce 'Hugh's Law', which will help parents in similar situations in the future.
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The father has now shared an update on why he has carried out the long walk and what he aims to achieve.
In a statement, the dad revealed that he completed the distance he set out, again with a 20kg backpack on his back, though it was also filled with the names of 450 children affected by cancer, as well as Hugh's shoes which he wore into hospital and never wore back out.
When reaching Number 10, he put his son's shoes on the steps and handed a letter over, which has been backed by more than 150 MPs and Lords, calling for Hugh's Law to be implemented.
It calls for a change to 'ensure parents of seriously ill children get financial and emotional support from day one of their child’s treatment,' Ceri shared.
Speaking to LADbible, he said of the long walk: "It was the first time that I had been back to Addenbrooke’s Hospital since Hugh passed away in 2021, so it was emotional and a bit nerve-racking going up to the main entrance again."
The Brit said that this was the hardest part of the walk, revealing: "We did 45km on the first day and 50kms the second, which was tough on the feet. Then in the morning, we walked to Downing Street from Canary Wharf, and my MP joined me."
Ceri was joined by his wife and his parents, before heading into Downing Street itself.
"In my bag were Hugh’s shoes, which he wore into hospital on the 7th of September 2021 when his cancer had relapsed. He never wore them out again, so having carried them for 106kms, I had to place them at the door of 10 Downing Street to show the legacy that he has left behind, by inspiring me and people who knew him," the dad said.
Explaining the prospective law in more detail, he added: "Hugh’s Law, if we are successful, would protect parents who must leave work and need to be by the bedside of their child in hospital, not for common illnesses or arm breaks.
"This is for the worst of children’s illnesses like cancer, organ failure, and respiratory conditions. When parents are going through the absolute worst time of their lives, they need help," he explained.
It would only be for the first 12 weeks of any condition, which Ceri says is the 'worst time', as he hopes that 'even one parent or child' could benefit from the law to make it all worthwhile.
He admitted that support from the public has been 'overwhelming', with some leaving him in tears.
Joshua Nair