Annabel Gulliver, of South-West London, is set to conquer the London Marathon this year – despite hating running! She has taken on the challenge in support of her brother Charlie, who was diagnosed with an incredibly rare tumour.
Charlie, 27, has always been fit and healthy, and played a variety of sports. His journey began last April when, during a rugby match, a particularly hard tackle was followed by pain and swelling in his abdomen. After giving the injury some time to heal on its own without success, he visited the local hospital.
He had a scan in A&E, which showed the swelling was not in fact caused by the tackle. They discovered instead an abdominal tumour, measuring 15cm squared, that was causing significant damage to his kidneys.
In May 2024, Charlie was diagnosed with a rare type of tumour called desmoid-type fibromatosis (or aggressive fibromatosis), something that affects just one in 200,000 people. Needless to say, Charlie’s life has been turned upside-down since.
Annabel, 25, is determined to complete the 26-mile race in April for Charlie – her first marathon. Ironically, his story started on the day of last year’s London Marathon!
The tumour grew rapidly from 15cm to 20cm over a couple of months. Charlie started chemotherapy last July to shrink the tumour and had his sixth cycle of treatment just before Christmas. He now has an anxious wait to see what happens next.
Charlie, who lives in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, and is a buying director for Aldi, will need one of his kidneys removed due to the damage. He has been told that surgically removing the tumour would only be a last resort as, due to its aggressive nature, there would be a 70 per cent chance of it growing back again.
Annabel, who works in HR for an insurance company, said: ‘Something like this makes you really pause and appreciate your health and your body’s ability to move – which is so easily taken for granted. The tumour was a huge shock to Charlie and his world has been turned upside down. He’s been amazing and has remained so positive throughout the whole process, and during the toughest moments has cared about everyone else around him and how they are doing, far more than himself.’
Charlie said: ‘You never think you’ll be the one diagnosed with a serious condition, until it happens. Initially it’s shocking, scary and immensely worrying – particularly when you are unclear of what the future holds. At times like these, information is power. Charity Sarcoma UK has provided a huge amount of useful information, right from day one. More importantly than just expanding our knowledge, the reassurance and relief it has allowed my family and I to feel at times has been invaluable.’
Annabel is running the marathon alongside close friend Olly Tice, who is also raising money for Sarcoma UK.
Olly said: ‘To call Charlie selfless would be an understatement – he’s the linchpin of our friendship group. This has come as such a shock to him and his family – it very quickly became a no brainer to raise money for Sarcoma UK.’
Helen Stradling, Sarcoma UK’s Support Line Manager, said: ‘Our hearts go out to Charlie who, at just 27, has shown incredible strength in facing this aggressive tumour diagnosis. Having a rare tumour turn your world upside down is devastating and we’re so glad that we could provide some clarity and reassurance during such an uncertain time. Access to reliable information and support is so crucial following a diagnosis like this. Through Annabel and Olly’s inspiring marathon effort, we’ll be able to continue providing that vital first-line support to patients and families when they need it most. Every penny raised helps ensure that people affected by these rare tumours can access trustworthy information and support from day one. We’re all wishing Charlie the very best with his ongoing treatment and hope the chemotherapy brings positive results.’
Annabel has been overwhelmed by the amount of support and donations already and would now like to see if she can reach £10,000. She said: ‘I absolutely hate running but the support has been amazing!’
To donate to Annabel, go to https://www.justgiving.com/page/annabel-gulliver-london-marathon-2025
