Teenagers take on Great Manchester Run after health struggles | Manchester News

Six teenagers who have faced life-changing health challenges are set to take part in the Great Manchester Run in wheelchairs.

The group are preparing to complete the 10km (6.2 mile) race on Sunday with the support of staff from the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

Among them are Issie and Ayyub, who were admitted to hospital last year due to rare illnesses.

The charity challenge will mark an important milestone in their recovery.

In February 2024, Issie, 15, was admitted to hospital with a brain haemorrhage.

“It caused me to be in ICU for a month and I’ve had three brain surgeries,” she said.

“When I was on ICU they didn’t think I would be able to walk.”

Issie was recently discharged but continues to undergo intense rehab as an outpatient to relearn how to walk.

“I can’t walk the whole 10km because of fatigue but I am going to do the last 1km on my own,” said the 15-year-old.

Ayyub, 16, who is an inpatient, was admitted to hospital in March 2024 with acute flaccid myelitis, a rare condition that affects the spinal cord.

“I developed like a little bit of a cold, which ended up leaving me paralysed,” he said.

“The cold I had ended up attacking my whole spinal cord, leaving me in ICU for three months.

“Doctors said that I was going to be ventilated for the rest of my life, but I ended up getting my breathing back so I’ve become a lot stronger since then. It’s a life-changing experience.”

Ayyub is hoping to self-propel his wheelchair across the Great Manchester Run finish line.

Emily Davies, a specialist paediatric physio at the hospital, said: “All of our patients are incredibly inspiring and incredibly resilient brave people and I definitely feel inspired by my patients.”

The team are raising money for the hospital’s youth service, which they all used during their time as patients.

Molly Bradley, a youth worker at the hospital, said: “What we’re providing is someone to speak to, a safe adult they can talk to about all the difficulties that come with being in a hospital.

“Being a teenager is tough at any time of their life, but being a teenager in hospital and not getting to go and see your friends and do everything that everyone else is doing can be really upsetting for young people.”

Ayyub said: “The money for the trust will be the best thing because the youth service has helped a lot with my mental health in general.”

Issie said this was a cause close to heart as “the money will go to help other young people”.