A man will test his stamina over 26 miles to raise much needed funds for a charity that helped his wife fulfil her dream before she died.

Set up by Arsenal legend Bob Wilson and his wife Megs, Willow is the only national charity working with seriously ill young adults aged 16 to 40 to fulfil uplifting and unforgettable special days.

Doun Choi, 31, is to run the Virgin London Marathon to raise money for Willow in memory of his wife Ting, who died aged just 30 last September after she was diagnosed with a rare type of bone cancer.

The charity fulfilled the two food lovers’ dreams by organising a meal at The Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal’s world famous restaurant, just over a year ago.

Mr Choi, from Harrow, said: “Willow gave Ting a huge boost when she needed it most. The cancer ate away at her spinal cord leaving her constantly in pain and paralysed from the chest down.

“Her special day meant we could have a break and enjoy a day out together. By then we'd spent so much time as carer and patient that it was nice to have a breather and spend some time on a date as husband and wife, eating and chatting like we used to.

“I know she held the memory of that special afternoon to the end.”

To sponsor Doun and find out more about Ting’s Special Day visit VirginMoneyGiving.com/Doun or for more information about Willow visit www.willowfoundation.org.uk or telephone 01707 259777.