Daffodil Runner: Marathon for End-of-Life Care

On April 21st, runners hitting up the TCS London Marathon this Sunday are in for a powerful welcome.

As they grab their bib numbers at Excel London, they'll meet the Daffodil runner,

a life-size figure decked out with 557 steel. Daffodils,

each flower stands for one person in the UK who dies every day without the end of life care they deserve.

Dr. Sarah Holmes, Marie Curie's chief medical officer with almost 25 years in palliative care,

points out the real gaps still hitting folks. Hard. Without proper support,

people end up in pain at home. Families scramble not knowing who to call,

and too many land and hospitals or ambulances during. Their final day's places,

no one wants for their last moments. The sculpture, handcrafted over 200 hours by former care worker

Alan Ross, got unveiled Tuesday at Tower Bridge right on the marathon route.

It shook him, seeing all those flowers lined up, each won a personal tragedy that hits deep

and demands attention. Ballroom pros, Curtis and AJ Pritchard running for the charity after losing

their Nana in the pandemic helped reveal it. Meanwhile, Dr. Holmes teams up with two others,

tied at the ankles for a four-legged record attempt under five hours,

pushing their limits to spotlight the cause. A Marie Curie's study shows nearly one in three

brits miss out on needed end-of-life care, worse in tough neighborhoods with deaths every three

minutes, and numbers climbing toward a quarter million by 2050. The charities out there providing

community care, hospice support, and a free helpline aiming to raise two million pounds through

marathon runners to keep delivering that dignity.