Hannah Dalton, a critical care pharmacist at our Trust, ran the London Marathon on Sunday (27 April) despite having a visual impairment.

Hannah, 27, who ran to raise money for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), completed the 26 mile course for the first time with her younger brother Patrick, 25, as her guide.

She raised £4,799 for the charity, which supports people affected by sight loss, and has provided invaluable support to her following her diagnosis when she was 21.

Hannah, of Hornchurch, said:

I was concerned running a marathon wouldn’t be possible, but I found out you can have a guide and that made all the difference. Being able to run with my brother was brilliant as he knows my issues.

My brother was fundamental in making sure I didn’t trip as I was worried about obstacles like discarded water bottles and kerbs.

It was all verbal instructions, he’d tell me to go left or right and point out obstacles. He would run on the outside to protect me tripping on the barrier stand. It was like having an extra pair of eyes.

We stuck to one side the whole time. He would put his arm out to avoid people passing through. I would have struggled to run the marathon if he wasn’t there.

It was much better than what I expected, the support was amazing - we were cheered the whole way round.

Hannah has visual field loss in both eyes, meaning she’s lost the lower half of her peripheral vision, or side vision. Following her diagnosis during a routine eye test, she has been supported by one of our Trust’s eye care liaison officers (ECLO), Caroline Christou.

We have two ECLOs, employed by the RNIB, who help patients and staff with sight loss and eye conditions. They give emotional and practical support, including linking patients with counselling services, helping them apply for the Certificate of Vision Impairment, claiming financial support and learning to use equipment such as magnifiers, iPhone apps and screen readers.

Since the service started at our Trust in 2020, the ECLOs have supported more than 4,000 patients with advice and guidance.

Hannah added:

It was so reassuring to discuss the practicalities of being partially sighted and receive emotional support after hearing this life changing news. Thanks to the support I got from Caroline, I really wanted to raise money for the ECLO service to help other people.

ECLO service manager Karen James, said:

Thirty years ago, RNIB saw a vital need among people who were faced with sight loss for crucial practical and emotional support. 

We established our very first ECLO in Rotherham and since then the service has expanded. By the end of 2025 we will have an ECLO in every major eye clinic in London and almost every major clinic in the UK.

This means that people like Hannah can quickly discover there is life after sight loss and how to live it to the full.

We are absolutely delighted Hannah found the support she needed from our ECLO at Queen’s Hospital and she is now raising funds to help us continue this important work.

Hannah completed the marathon in 5 hours and 16 minutes. To donate, visit Hannah’s fundraising page.

If you’d like to know more about the eye care liaison service, contact bhrut.eclo@nhs.net.

Daughter raises £6k and completes marathon in memory of her late Dad

Carys Gilbert, 31, also ran the marathon, in memory of her Dad Neal after he was treated at Queen’s Hospital for a rare blood cancer before he died in March.

Her Dad Neal, from Hutton, was diagnosed with high-grade B-cell CNS lymphoma in October 2024, a type of cancer which starts in B-cells, which are white blood cells that helps the body fight off infection.

She has raised more than £6,000 for our hospital’s charity to make improvements on the ward and help future chemotherapy patients and their families.

Carys completed the course in 5 hours and 38 minutes and said it was an incredible experience.

The support from my family, friends and the public was amazing, it got me through it.

You can also donate via Carys’s fundraising page.