Running round the clock

15 September 2023

This weekend Chris Pink will take on the massive challenge of a 24-hour run in honour of his uncle’s perseverance.

Chris’s uncle, Michael Stubbings, was diagnosed with amyloidosis in 2008 after his dentist recommended a referral. He lived with the rare disease, caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body, for 15 years – much longer than most amyloidosis patients. Fittingly, Michael always told his family members: “Never give up.”

Chris reflects on the treatment his uncle received at the National Amyloidosis Centre, at the Royal Free Hospital: “The consultants were fighting hard to get him the treatments he needed to deal with that. As he went through a succession of these treatments and chemotherapy, he was really positive. He was just the most positive person I think I’ve ever met, in a situation where you just think this is as dire as it gets. He really encouraged us throughout our childhoods. He was such a kind and gentle man.”

Chris became unwell himself in 2006 while living abroad, eventually leaving him completely immobile. After getting the feeling back in his legs, experiencing symptoms affecting different parts of his body, and a move back to the UK, he suffered a second episode of immobility and was eventually diagnosed with an unknown virus likened to Guillain-Barré Syndrome. It took four more years to fully recover but Chris had decided that if he did, he would be as active as he could. This weekend he will put that to the test by taking on the run.

“I’ve really got into endurance running because it’s pushing yourself to do things that you didn’t think you could do. I don’t have a particular distance I am aiming for; it’s not about beating people or going higher up in the rankings, it’s just about what happens on the day.”

Chris is supporting the National Amyloidosis Centre and has already raised more than £500 towards research into the disease. “I want to do this in my uncle’s memory. And if we can raise money for this, so other people can feel better, then why not?”

You can support Chris’s fundraising on JustGiving: Chris Pink is fundraising for Royal Free Charity (justgiving.com)