“She was my inspiration and my best friend": Why Lewis is running the London Marathon in memory of his mum Jackie 

Lewis, age 32, is one of our amazing runners taking part in the TCS London Marathon for Versus Arthritis this year.  

Lewis chose Versus Arthritis for one very special reason: he is running in memory of his mum Jackie, who very sadly passed away in November 2022.  

Jackie had rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, and Lewis remembers how significantly her conditions impacted her.

Here, he tells us more about their wonderful relationship, how she managed her conditions, and what it means to run the London Marathon in her memory.  

Jackie’s conditions 

Lewis was aware of Jackie’s arthritis from a young age. While Jackie didn’t like making a fuss about her symptoms, her arthritis was still very present in his life.  

“My mum had rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis for a long while,” says Lewis. “She had it in her feet and had to have an operation on her foot a long time ago, when I was about 10. She had it in her wrists and took medication for it daily.” 

Jackie also experienced Raynaud’s phenomenon, a condition that causes blood to stop flowing properly to the outer parts of the body. 

“She used to get really cold with the Raynaud’s,” says Lewis. “We’d be in a room that was fine temperature-wise, and her hands would be blue and really uncomfortable.” 

How Jackie was impacted by her arthritis  

Lewis knows that Jackie experienced some difficulties because of her arthritis. The main symptoms of osteoarthritis include pain and stiffness in the joints, and people with rheumatoid arthritis may experience joint pain, swelling and stiffness, and fatigue.  

“Sometimes she struggled a bit with mobility, especially if she got cold,” says Lewis. “I was always very conscious of doing things around the house and making her life a bit more comfortable. Heavy lifting, putting things away, that kind of thing.” 

Lewis remembers how his mum’s arthritis could have an impact on her self-esteem.  

“When we went on holiday, she’d be really self-conscious about her feet and wear shoes that covered her toes,” he says. “I don’t think they were horrendous, and a lot of people have arthritis, so she didn’t need to be self-conscious.” 

But despite the hurdles Jackie faced, Lewis never felt his childhood was any different because of his mum’s conditions.  

“I never went without anything,” he says. “My dad would be working so I’d do stuff with my mum. She’d pick me up from school, take me to work.  

“She’d look after my niece twice a week who was quite a handful. They’d go bowling and to the zoo and she’d be on the sofa after the day was done with a glass of wine! But she wouldn’t have it any other way."  

Jackie’s strength and positivity  

Alongside living with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and Raynaud’s phenomenon, Jackie also experienced hearing loss. Lewis often worried about her, especially when she was at work.  

“She was a waitress until the time she passed,” he says. “She had to carry a lot of things and was on her feet a lot." 

“If it was really loud she’d struggle to hear. She’d try and lip read. I used to worry about her getting things wrong taking orders because she couldn’t hear, but she battled with that as well. She never really complained.” 

Lewis had a very special relationship with his mum. They were very close, and he always admired how strong willed and positive she was despite her arthritis pain.  

“She never let it get her down and I never heard her moan about it,” he says. “She was my inspiration and my best friend. 

“She was very strong willed. She never really asked for my help because of her arthritis. She would put everyone else before herself. She was so special and she cared about everyone.”  

Running the London Marathon in Jackie’s memory 

Lewis has always been into fitness and running. When he decided to run the London Marathon, he felt it was important to do it in his mum’s memory. 

“I wanted to run in my mum’s memory, and I thought it’d be good for my mental health as well,” he says. “I’m really thankful that I spoke to the Versus Arthritis team and they told me to send my application.” 

Lewis has been working hard to fundraise for Versus Arthritis. He took part in a boxing match and sold tickets to raise money.  

“The way people have been donating is very overwhelming to be honest, and quite unexpected,” he says. “The generosity from people who are close to me and who know the story is really humbling. People have been telling others who I wouldn’t have mentioned it to, as well. It’s been really heart-warming.” 

Raising money for a cause so close to his mum feels very important to Lewis. He wants to raise awareness of arthritis so there’s a better understanding of what people like his mum go through.  

“I love that I’m going to be wearing the vest on the day,” he says. “You see a lot of the same charities around, so I feel like it’s quite unique to be doing it for Versus Arthritis. It’ll be really good to make more people aware of arthritis.” 

“A lot of close friends and family have said she’d be really proud of me for doing something so close to me and my family. I think she’d be really proud of me too.” 

We’re here to help 

You don’t need to face arthritis alone. Our helpline provides people with arthritis, and those around them, with up-to-date information, advice and emotional support.  

You can call our free helpline on 0800 5200 520 or chat to AVA, our arthritis virtual assistant.  

Fundraising for Versus Arthritis 

Charity places for the 2025 TCS London Marathon are now open.

There are also plenty of other ways to fundraise with us.

If you have any questions about how you can get involved, the team are here to help. For more information, email us at fundraising@versusarthritis.org.

And remember, you don’t need to face arthritis alone. Our helpline advisors aim to bring all of the information and advice about arthritis into one place to provide tailored support for you.