13 June 2023
Running the Windsor Trail for Charity
Nishi Dhuna lives in Windsor with her husband Sachin, and daughters Suri, 8, and Mahi, 7. They’ve spent the last two years travelling to the children’s hospital in Southampton for specialist gastro-intestinal treatment for ulcerative colitis.
Dentist Nishi says, “Around two years ago, Suri started complaining of constant tummy aches, and then we noticed some blood in her stool.
We kept an eye on it and made an appointment with our local GP for some tests. Suddenly it went from nothing to severe very quickly.
It was summer when the test results came back. These showed that her inflammatory markers were high and that she needed specialist treatment which couldn’t be offered at our local hospital.
We were referred to Southampton Children’s Hospital some 60 miles away because of their specialist gastro-intestinal department.
They performed an exploratory colonoscopy and discovered Suri had ulcerative colitis.”
This is an inflammatory bowel auto-immune disease where the colon becomes inflamed.
“We stayed in hospital for a few days so they could perform more tests, treat Suri, and help us to understand triggers which will cause flare-ups of her condition.
This is something she will always have, and it’s been a bit of a journey to find the right medication to control it. We’re finally at the point now where her medication is working for her, and she’s doing really well.
We still have to come to Southampton every eight weeks for infusions to suppress her immune system to prevent inflammation.
We are so grateful to the consultant as he has really persevered to make sure Suri gets the right treatment for her, as everyone’s body reacts differently.
Tackling the Windsor Trail Run
I have never been a runner. Last November, my sister-in-law, Neetu, and I started the couch to 5k via the online app.
We started at the weekend, then we gradually did more sessions and built up our running from there.
I saw the Windsor Trail Run being advertised locally and I really wanted to set ourselves a target to keep motivated, so we signed up to the 10K.
I thought it was the perfect opportunity to run for a good cause, and because of everything we’ve been through with Suri. I knew it had to be for Southampton Hospitals Charity.
We had family and friends cheering us on at the start and finish line, and managed to complete the race in 58 minutes, which was a personal best for us both!
We’ve already raised over £1,000 for the children’s hospital and will be forever grateful for the care and treatment Suri has received there.”