For Seb, running the Sheffield 10K is about much more than crossing a finish line.
It’s a chance to give something back to the hospital that helped save his mum’s life after a devastating road accident.
Over the summer, Seb’s mum Julia was involved in a road traffic accident with a HGV, suffering 23 broken ribs alongside multiple other fractures. She was taken to the Northern General, where she spent four weeks recovering.
“My first memory is waking up in the Northern and having no memory of what happened. It was terrifying,” Julia explained. “We live in Barnsley so even though Sheffield isn’t that far, I felt a million miles away from my family.”
For Sebastian and his family, it was an incredibly difficult time. But throughout Julia’s recovery, the staff were there for all of them.
“It is so frightening to have a loved one in Critical Care, but the staff kept us completely in the loop. Whether she was having a check-up, taken for a scan or needed some tests, they would update us and make sure we knew what she was doing or when we could take a break, get a coffee. In such a scary environment, it means a lot that they do everything to put you at ease.”
The staff at the Northern General also knew that Julia had one goal in mind. She wanted to get better in time to see her daughter graduate.
“I felt like they were not only taking care of me but looking after my family too. They were so supportive when I told them I was aiming to be discharged in time for my daughter’s graduation ceremony. They’d ask me how many days away it was every morning!”
After being discharged from hospital on the Friday, she arrived at her daughter’s graduation in her wheelchair just three days later.
“Seeing Mum make it to my sister’s graduation was incredible,” said Seb. “It was a really emotional day for us all.”
“It’s really hard to put into words what it meant for me to be there. I’ll forever be grateful,” Julia added.
With his mum now recovering at home, Seb wants to do something to thank the teams who cared for his mum when she needed them most.
He’ll take on the Sheffield 10K on 27th September as part of Team SHC.
“There was a musician that played to mum on the Critical Care Unit and a comfort dog and they both helped mum relax a little while she was in hospital. They really helped her feel at ease during her hospital stay and I saw they were both funded by Sheffield Hospitals Charity so I knew I wanted to do something.
“The care and support we received as a family was incredible, so when I cross the line for such an important cause I know it will mean a lot to me. It will be a real sense of accomplishment. Without the care of the staff in Critical Care and Chesterman 3, Mum wouldn’t be where she is now. We will be grateful forever.”
This Sunday, Seb will run to say thank you to the people who helped his mum get home and make it to that graduation. For us, stories like Seb’s are a reminder of the people and families behind every hospital journey.
Thanks to our supporters, we’re able to fund projects and provide extra support across Sheffield’s NHS helping staff transform care and make difficult moments a little easier for patients and their families.
If you’d like to show your support, you can donate via Seb’s fundraising page or find out how to become a part of Team SHC here.
Published: Friday 25th of September 2026