A mum is preparing to run the Manchester Marathon to raise money for the hospital that treated her young son after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Rebekah Dalrymple will take on the challenge alongside five friends despite having no previous running experience.

The group are raising funds for The Christie Cancer Centre in Manchester, where her son Hector received specialist treatment last year.

Hector was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour in late 2024 when he was just five years old. He later travelled to The Christie for six weeks of intensive treatment.

He underwent proton beam therapy, a form of radiation treatment designed to target tumours precisely while reducing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Doctors said the tumour, if left untreated, could have led to serious complications including loss of vision and hearing.

Because the tumour is located close to the pituitary gland, the treatment is likely to have caused some damage to this area of the brain, which controls hormone production. Over the past year Hector has shown signs of limited growth and is expected to begin endocrinology treatment in April to monitor and manage his hormone levels.

The idea for the fundraising effort came during the family’s stay in the north west. While watching runners take part in last year’s Manchester Marathon, Hector cheered them on from the sidelines, inspiring his mother to consider taking part herself.

Rebekah said: ‘The reason that it was the Manchester marathon I wanted to enter was because the city is meaningful to us.

‘That's where we were. That's where the Christie is. That's where Hector had the treatment. That's where we were in that exact spot watching it a year ago.

‘I think for me personally, that will be a big thing as well.’

Five of her childhood friends also decided to take on the challenge, forming a fundraising group called Team Hector. Emma Riley, Susie Charker, Suzanne Gray and Christina Fowkes will run alongside Rebekah.

Ashlea Tracey is also supporting the fundraising effort but has had to defer taking part in the marathon because of injury.

A number of fundraising events have already been organised, including a running pub crawl in Ramsey.

A quiz night is also due to take place in Laxey later this week.

Rebekah said the experience had made her reflect on the number of families facing similar situations.

‘The bit that makes me the most emotional is when I think about all of those kids aside from Hector going through this.

‘The Christie were at capacity - they were full. There was always the next lot of children waiting to start their treatment.’

Since completing treatment, Hector has been undergoing MRI scans every three months to monitor the tumour and ensure it continues to shrink rather than refill like a cyst.

If his condition remains stable, the frequency of the scans may eventually be reduced, with the hope that after five years he will be discharged from this stage of care.

Donations can be made online at https://tinyurl.com/3wet2nsb.