South London dad runs marathon for hospital that saved his son’s life

April 16, 2026

South London Dad Runs Marathon for Evelina London

A South London father is undertaking his first marathon to raise funds for Evelina London Children's Charity. Charlie King, 31, from Thamesmead, is running the London Marathon to express gratitude to the hospital and its teams.

His son, Lennie, received life-saving treatment at Evelina London in 2022. Lennie was admitted with severe respiratory illness, including RSV, pneumonia, and empyema. The South Thames Retrieval Service (STRS) facilitated his emergency transfer to Evelina London.

Paediatric intensive care unit consultant, Dr Manal Alasnag, said: "Our main concern was getting the fluid out of Lennie’s lungs and fighting the infection to ensure that his illness didn’t get any worse." Lennie's treatment included breathing support and the drainage of over a pint of fluid from his lungs.

Despite initial concerns about long-term lung damage, Lennie, now four years old, has made a full recovery. King stated: "We owe everything to them and the care they gave us, so I’m happy to be able to do my small part to say thank you."

Big Picture Context and Clinical Outcomes

The case highlights the critical role of specialist paediatric intensive care units in managing severe childhood respiratory illnesses. In the UK, respiratory infections remain a significant cause of hospitalisation for young children. Data from NHS England shows that in 2022-23, there were over 100,000 admissions for respiratory conditions in children under five.

Dr Alasnag added: "It’s wonderful to see Lennie doing so well after such a horrible illness. Evelina London Children’s Charity does incredible work supporting the hospital and the teams here, so we’re incredibly grateful to Charlie and everyone who is undertaking this massive task to raise money for us."

OFFICIAL SOURCE VERIFICATION:

This report is based on official clinical data from Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust.

Document: Dad runs first marathon to raise money for Evelina London

Source Link: https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/news/dad-runs-first-marathon-raise-money-evelina-london

Author

South London News NHS & Wellbeing Desk

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