Abby’s Heroes is a charity dedicated to supporting children and their families, including bereaved families, cared for by the Piam Brown and Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) wards at Southampton General Hospital. A child’s cancer diagnosis can turn family life upside down. Abby’s Heroes aims to ease some of this burden by providing practical and financial support, helping families create precious memories together and offering bereaved parents support and time to grieve.

For Jodie, this support means a great deal. Two years ago, Jodie experienced the heartbreaking loss of her 11-year-old daughter, Olivia, to leukaemia. Having experienced first-hand the challenges families face, Jodie is now working hard to raise vital funds for the charity that helped her family through such a difficult time.

Olivia was a creative and fun-loving girl with a passion for Harry Potter and art. She dreamed of becoming an artist one day and had a wonderful talent for collecting lip balms, building up an incredible collection of 468! After going into remission, Olivia’s leukaemia very sadly returned. Despite everything she went through, she remains at the heart of Jodie’s fundraising efforts, with every challenge helping to support a charity that made a difference to their family.

During Olivia’s illness, Abby’s Heroes provided practical support, including help with travel costs, as well as special moments to bring some joy to difficult days, such as a pizza night for the children. This support helped the family during an incredibly challenging period and is a reminder of the difference a little kindness can make when it’s needed most.

Determined to give back to the charity that supported her family, Jodie took up running in January 2026. What began as a new challenge soon became an extraordinary achievement, as she went on to complete the London Marathon in April 2026. And she isn’t stopping there! Jodie has already signed up for the London Landmarks Half Marathon next year, continuing her efforts to raise vital funds for Abby’s Heroes so that other children and families can receive the same support and care. Jodie’s story is a powerful reminder of the people and personal experiences behind the causes we support.

Through her determination and fundraising, she is helping Abby’s Heroes continue its work supporting families facing some of life’s most difficult moments. If you’d like to be part of Jodie’s fundraising journey and help keep Olivia’s memory alive, you can find out more and donate using the button below.