A dad is running the marathon in memory of his young daughter who died in her sleep aged just three.
Luna-Rose Vince was born in 2019 with a rare genetic condition.
She had global development delay, which meant she was immobile, non-verbal and had frequent epilepsy seizures.
Luna-Rose needed round-the-clock care but mum Sam Poulton said she was “the most beautiful little angel”.
Now dad Matt Vince, 31, a construction worker, has decided to run a marathon for the first time, following the tot's death in October.
Matt said: "The most I had ever done when I committed to running the Brighton Marathon back in December was just four miles.
"I am determined to turn a big, big negative into a positive. Luna-Rose wouldn't want us to be just moping around."
Matt wants to raise £15,000 for Aquamovers, a group which provides expert therapy and socialising for severely disabled children between the age of one and five at Chailey Heritage Foundation.
The group provided support for the family, from Heathfield, and Sam said it was a "life-changer" for her.
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Sam, 33, a dental nurse, said Luna-Rose had been given a “bad hand” in life but she was happy.
Sam said: "She loved life and she smiled all the time. We never thought her condition was life-threatening at such an early stage in her life, so when she died, we were obviously in total shock.
"She was absolutely fine the night before but on October 6, 2022, her heart stopped beating in her sleep.
"I had given up work to care for her and I struggled. I felt very lonely and didn't know anyone in a similar circumstance.
"Then I heard about Aquamovers, and it made a complete difference to our family.
"Going there helped me accept what had happened.”
Matt is now looking forward to the marathon on Sunday, April 2.
A staggering £5,000 was donated to Matt's fundraising page in the first 12 hours, and the current amount is more than £12,000.
- For those who wish to donate, the fundraiser is available here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lunarose
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