Cancer vlogger's family finish 230-mile charity hike
George Carden/BBCA mother and son have completed a 230-mile (370km) charity hike from Eastbourne to Winchester and back in memory of a family member who died from a brain tumour.
Alex Eades and her son Miles arrived back in East Sussex on 12 August and have raised more than £4,000 by completing the challenge.
It comes 10 years after their first charity walk in memory of 19-year-old Charlotte Eades who vlogged online about her cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Since Charlotte's death in 2016, the pair have raised more than £400,000, which has helped fund Charlotte's Lab at King's College Hospital in London.
Miles EadesAlex Eades said: "I'm feeling very tired, every morning has been a struggle when you're averaging 32km (20 miles) a day.
"Most of my toes, bar three, are covered in blisters. It's been really tough but we're incredibly proud of ourselves that we've managed to do it."
She said the hot weather took its toll, adding: "Often you'd walk for five kilometres and there'd be no shade."
The pair set off on 1 August and followed the South Downs Way, staying in B&Bs and pubs along the route.
Alex Eades said: "Basically, the charity is Miles and I, so we have been totally self-funded since we started."
She said every pound donated would go to Charlotte's Lab and to research.
"We know how the money is going to be spent, that's really important to us," she said.
In terms of next goals, they want to raise £500,000 by Christmas next year.
They said the money raised so far has helped the laboratory at Kings College Hospital to purchase a high specification computer.
Combined with new DNA sequencing technology,it has reduced the time it takes to make a diagnosis from 21 days down to two hours.
Alex Eades added: "I think Charlotte would approve of it. She wouldn't want other people to go through the ending she went through.
"If we can speed up diagnosis, that's a massive plus."
