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Sean Kerr

London Marathon 2025

Donate to Sean and help them hit their goal of £2000!

I’m running the London Marathon 2025 to fight for lung health!

Every minute, someone in the UK is diagnosed with a lung condition. I want to make a difference. I'm running the London Marathon 2025 for Asthma + Lung UK, the only UK charity that fights for everyone’s right to breathe. Every pound I'm able to raise will take us a step closer to a world where everyone has healthy lungs.

Just £22 allows one of Asthma + Lung UK's nurses to answer a call on the Helpline, offering potentially lifesaving advice. I'd be very grateful for any donations you could make!

Please Help Me
Reach My Goal

Raised

£1,036 + £84.95 GiftAid

My Goal

£2,000

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My Achievements

My Updates

Low points, raffle time and trying to stay positive

Saturday 14th Dec
We all do it....we put things off and decide to do them 'some other day', we renege on plans that we had arranged with family and friends with the intention of 'doing it some other day', we decide that doing that thing we planned with the kids is too much hassle today but we will 'rearrange it for another day'. We never stop to think how quickly things can change and that we might never get the chance to do those things that we keep putting off. The recent death of GAA legend Jody gormley really hit home for me. It showed that the fragility of life is real. One minute you're on top of the world and the next minute the rug is pulled from under your feet. Life as we know it changes in a second. It feels so unfair. It feels so cruel!
That's exactly how it feels for us as a family right now. It feels like we are in a neverending continuum of cruel and unfair situations where dad is put through hell and all we can do is watch, pray and hope! We see that fragility of life play out in front of us every day.

Dad went into and had an extended stay in hospital. Flu hit him very hard. In a matter of days we watched him deteriorating rapidly, struggling to do the simplest tasks. We watched him struggle for breath as he sat up to eat his lunch. We stood as a family, feeling useless, as we watched the man that is the cornerstone of our family, become a shell of the man we all know and love. 

Days and nights went by and small improvements gave us all hope. Like the previous hospital stays he improved but this time something just felt different. I think even for dad it felt different. Although there was improvement, it just didn't feel like those improvements were as big as they were previously. However, with time came hope and we got informed that dad was in a state deemed stable enough to go home, albeit this time he would most likely be bed bound at home.....but at least he would be home. 

We spend our days with dad now in his own home. We watch our mum, his loving wife, hold his fragile hands in a show of love that is evident in the silence that fills the room yet portrays a resounding exclamation of 'im here for you'. She doesn't need to say a word....dad just knows! I watch as my sister's do everything they can to help. Sitting up all night if needed just so they can give some comfort to dad and mum. I myself am not much use at all to be honest.....but I'm there and I suppose in times like this, being there is probably all that matters.

We still have great hope that dad will improve a little bit each day. He's in his own home and he's getting great care. I'm certain he's stubborn enough to keep getting stronger and show COPD who's boss and as he does so, we will be there by his side. 

If all this has taught me anything, it is - don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Go on that trip, spend the time with family and friends, laugh, cry and live your life to the fullest because things can change very quickly and without warning....and for those that can do so, hug your mum and dad and simply tell them you love them! Live every single day like it's your last.

It's a difficult time for us all right now but we will keep going!! 

I suppose that's a good segway into what I want to say next....for me to run this London marathon then that's exactly what I'll need to do....keep going. Keep going with the training. Keep going with the planning and most importantly keep going with the fundraising. As I write this blog I can confirm that the charity raffle has been completed. Today, 14 Dec @8pm, I went live on Facebook (hearing the sound of your own voice on video is awful 😂) to carry out the raffle. A wheel of prizes and a wheel of names kept the whole thing fair and some amazing prizes were handed out. A brilliant amount of money was raised and my fundraising total sits close to the £1000 mark!!! Unbelievable!! The generosity of people knows no bounds. I really do want to thank each and every one of you that has donated!! I will continue to fundraise with the aim of hitting my target of £2000. Such an amount will be an amazing boost for the Asthma+lung UK charity and having spoken to them I know that every penny really does make a difference!!! 

Anyway, Thanks for reading and staying up to date with everything that's going on. Posts like this are not pity posts but more so to promote awareness of this great charity and to highlight some of the struggles that come with lung illnesses and what many families are facing daily. 

Cold weather brings problems

Wednesday 27th Nov
Just like the rest of us, people living with lung conditions will be aiming to stay warm and cosy as the temperature begins to drop. And just like you and I, especially those living with COPD, will also be trying hard not to catch colds and flu. A cold or flu can have a huge impact on anyone but for someone suffering from COPD the flu is one of the most common respiratory viruses that trigger COPD exacerbations. Exacerbations can lead to accelerated loss of lung function and increased risk of hospitalisation.
No matter how much you try to keep the house free from colds and flu, inevitably every household usually gets hit.

That's exactly what's happened with dad. The past few days he has been feeling the early effects of the flu and no amount of emergency antibiotics could prevent hospitalisation. More ambulances, more antibiotics, more oxygen, more chest x-rays and more blood gas analysis. Heartbreaking because he has been doing so well since his last hospital stay. 

The rest of us throw a few over the counter flu medications into us and stay in bed til we recover but for someone like dad it's becomes dangerous and even life threatening 

Hopefully this won't be a long stay in hospital and hopefully he will be back home soon asking us what all the fuss was about 🙄 

What I would ask everyone to do is check on friends and neighbours at this time of year. Older neighbours that live alone may be sitting in cold damp rooms, struggling to stay warm (possibly only heating one room in the house).  Family's could be struggling to heat their homes and keep the house warm for children. Situations like this are bad enough but should any of those people have a lung condition then the situation becomes 100% worse. 

Apologies for lack of updates......

Thursday 24th Oct
Hi all, apologies for the lack of updates. Things have been a bit chaotic recently. 

Dad's COPD flared up again and this resulted in another spell in hospital. Everything just seemed worse this time though and to be honest, I (and my family) really struggled to comprehend what was going on. But it's times like this that it really hits home how scary it must be for those that suffer these awful lung diseases. The rest of us really do take breathing for granted! 

So obviously, having witnessed what was possibly the scariest flare up yet, it pushed me to really up the ante on my fundraising to support the work of Asthma+Lung uk and to give more focus to my training. 

On the fundraising front, I have reached out to all the local business asking for donations and plan to be more visible throughout the town in the coming weeks in an attempt to gather as much as I can.

On the training front, miles have increased and those longer sessions are being split up by a few shorter intervals. If you see an eejit on the road at night (or very early in the morning) lit up like a Christmas tree, that's probably me jogging along to the best of a few 80s rock classics. Remember to beep the horn, wave, shout abuse but most importantly.....DONATE!

On a side note - Shout out to my sister, Michelle who is taking on the Dublin marathon this weekend. A latecomer to the running scene, this is a massive achievement for her and the ladies she runs with. Although she's not officially running for Asthma+Lung UK, you can still donate to show her your support via my fundraising page 😉 

All kinds of everything...including the unexpected

Saturday 31st Aug
Headed off on holidays with the prospect of the Antrim coast half marathon looming in the background (planned for a day after I returned home). As such, the plan was to get a couple of runs in while the others lay up at the pool telling me I was 'crazy for running in that heat'. Between the croissants and beer I was able to squeeze in a couple of runs - an easy 6 mile and a faster 7 mile. 
All set...feeling ready....but then life throws up the unexpected. Arriving home I was faced with the news that dad had been taken to hospital. His COPD had flared up and infections had set in. Plans quickly changed! The last thing on my mind was running and, even less so, the Antrim coast half marathon. 
Sunday came and past and with it went the half marathon.
But it's times like this that you get to see the amazing work of our doctors and nurses. Caring for the people that you care about the most. This brought it home to me why I'm running the London marathon and what I'm trying to achieve by doing so. I want to raise the awareness of lung diseases, how they can impact many lives and also how brilliant our medical and care teams are! I really want to double down now and raise as much as possible to aid research into lung conditions and help with costs associated with the care packages that are so badly needed by people just like my dad.
Dad is home now and on the mend after a prolonged spell in hospital. 
The care and attention he received is second to none.
Please donate, if you can, towards this cause. Please also share this fundraising page far and wide.
All help and support is greatly appreciated! 

New running partner and a badly timed race 😂

Monday 12th Aug
Hey everyone, just a quick check in on progress. Got a few runs completed over the last few days including a quick 5 mile with Matthew (8 yr old son). Think he's caught the running bug as he also completed his first junior park run on Sunday morning (shout out to all the keep er lit team for facilitating a great weekly event). 
Things going good at the minute. Next race is the Antrim coast half marathon on 25 August. Would usually be aiming for a time but given that it's a day after I return from holidays the plan is to just get it done!! Will use it as a training run 😂

Thanks again to those that have donated, it means a lot!! Please share this page far and wide and help raise awareness! 

Until the next update.....good luck. 

Another week down

Sunday 28th Jul
Another week, another few miles in the legs. Great to get out and about and when the weather is nice it's all the better. 

Just a few long runs this week to keep things ticking over. Hopefully back to the early morning runs again in the coming weeks. 

Thanks again to everyone who has donated. Please spread the word far and near. Every re-post, tweet, like and share will help promote this great cause and great charity.

Don't take for granted the deep breaths of fresh air that most of us can enjoy every day ... remember that some people are not as lucky and the struggle to breathe is a real one. If you can, please donate to help those who suffer from lung diseases and help fund research and development into such debilitating illnesses.

And we're back!

Sunday 7th Jul
First week back to near normal after the fracture. Great to be able to run 'properly' again. Just a bit of zone 2 running during the week (if you pass me on the Cookstown road, rest assured I'm not struggling, I'm going that slow in purpose 😂) and then finished the week with hill work at tullyhogue fort. Tough going, but sure nobody said it should be easy!
Haven't really been pushing the fundraising yet but hope to have a few bonus ball raffles coming up soon. Please share my page far and wide. Any help to get this great charity promoted is very much appreciated! We all know someone with a lung condition and far too often such conditions are overlooked. Thanks! 

Treadmill of doom....but it will be worth it

Sunday 30th Jun
Stress fracture on the mend and to mix it up a bit I've started back on the treadmill. 5 mile on the treadmill feels like 20 road miles. Sticking with the run/walk approach for now. Hopefully get the milage up again soon and start a few long runs. 
Thanks again for the donations so far....share the page far and wide if you can. Thanks!

Stress fracture....one step at a time

Sunday 23rd Jun
Good to get a few runs under the belt, albeit very slow runs. Recovering well from a tibial stress fracture so it's going to be slow and steady for a few more weeks. Sessions so far have been short distance (3-5 mile), 2min run, 2 min walk etc. So far so good. 
Thanks to those that have donated so far! Very much appreciated. Feel free to share the page far and wide. 

The Why....

Sunday 16th Jun
Why? Why would you want to run another marathon?
Why are you running London? Why are you running for lung health?

When I said I was running the London marathon, the above are the typical questions I was asked. So this post serves to explain the WHY.
.......

Because I can! Unfortunately for many people, both young and old, lung conditions prevent them from doing something that I and others take for granted - going for a run, taking part in sport, enjoying a walk or even just walking up a set of stairs. I'm lucky enough, even at the ripe old age of 40, that I'm able to lace up the trainers and head out for a hour or two on the roads. I figured, I'll try and do a bit of good while doing something I love. Maybe, with your help, we can make a difference. 

Even before COVID-19, NHS hospital admissions for lung conditions were rising three times faster than average admissions. People living with lung conditions are often overlooked and being left behind. Their condition isn’t accurately diagnosed at an early stage – and even when they are diagnosed, they’re not given the care they need.

My own father, a man that many of you may know, suffers from the awful lung condition known as Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties. He and many others that have COPD don't even know they have it whilst its in the early stages. Instead, breathing problems tend to get gradually worse over time and can limit a persons normal activities. I've watched this occur first hand. By the time of a proper diagnosis a person's lungs may already be extremely damaged. Therefore, early diagnosis is of paramount importance, particularly because the condition cannot be cured or reversed. For my own father the condition has been extremely debilitating. A man that would have been seen out walking the dog or lapping the football pitch has become teathered to the living room chair where a constant supply of oxygen aids his breathing. 

I want to use this platform to highlight the need to take lung conditions seriously, to highlight the need for research and development and to hopefully help transform lung health for the better. No better stage to do that than on one of the worlds most popular and well known marathons - London. 

Join me on my journey

Thank you to my Sponsors

£105

Nuala Sherry

£10.50

Catherine Hughes

Sorry for the delay in sponsorship best of luck with the run

£15

John Neeson

£20

Kevin Hagan

£63

Salt Electrical

Good luck Sean from all the Team 🍀 🏃‍♂️

£21

Malachy Nixon

Best of luck lad

£105

Rp Group

All the best Seany

£60

Offline Donations

£10.50

Leanne Biddiscombe

Good luck Sean! Great cause, thinking of your daddy and all the family x

£20

Kathy Mcaleer

Best of luck Sean. Enjoy all the training!!

£10.50

Kristina Kisieliene

£23.10

Gareth Soye

GL Sean

£20

Aine Mcdonald

A brilliant cause! Wishing you all the best Seán!!

£5

Jake Handley

Team Breathe Giving Day

£25

Emily

All the best Sean!

£23.10

Martina Mackle

Good luck!

£20

Jason Burns

All the best Seanie 💪

£30

Michelle Bell

Good Luck Sean, great cause!

£30

Kathy Hanna

£21

Shane Mcelvanna

£20

Cathy Meenan

Good luck

£20

Annaghmore Valeting

All the best Sean great cause

£2.10

Hannah Kerr

£42

Pádraig Mullally

Best of luck with it Seán!

£23.10

John Connolly

£27.51

Paul

All the best with the training mo chara

£23.10

Alaine And Paul Mckillen

Good Luck Sean

£23.10

Carol

Good Luck Big Shinny Head 😁

£20

Annamay Mcnally

Brilliant cause. Best of luck with your training 💪

£40

Veronica Connolly

Good luck Sean!

£23.10

Eamon

£40

Marty O

Great work Seany! I will be looking out for you on the road when driving home. Maybe get a training run in with you. Your slow and steady will be my fast and dying but we can make it work lol

£30

Michelle Kerr

£22

Brian Mcdowell

Good luck sean

£20

Gavin And Sara Mcdowell

Good luck Sean from gavin, sara and sophia

£22

Anonymous

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