“Without the Churchill Hospital, Stuart wouldn’t be here today, and we would never have met. This run is my way of saying thank you.”

This weekend Abbie Batts from Witney is lacing up her trainers for the Oxford Half Marathon.

She’s running in support of Oxford Hospitals Charity to thank the Churchill Hospital for saving the life of her now-husband, Stuart.

Back in 2009, Stuart Batts was performing in a military tattoo representing the RAF. The training was intense and physically demanding, so when he began experiencing pain in his elbow, it didn’t raise immediate concern. But within a couple of weeks, he developed pain in his knees as well and decided to visit a minor injuries unit.

Blood tests were taken and Stuart was referred to the haematology unit for further investigation. Just two days later, he received devastating news: he had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, a rare and fast-progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow, more commonly seen in children than adults.

The very next day, Stuart began chemotherapy at the Churchill Hospital.

He accepted the chance to take part in a clinical trial tailored to his specific type of leukaemia, hoping his experience could contribute to future research.

After a few weeks, he was allowed home for Christmas Day, but returned to hospital the following day to continue treatment, before being transferred to the outpatients' day unit for several months of care.

The effects were gruelling—Stuart lost his hair, battled fatigue, and was readmitted after developing symptoms similar to diabetes.

Sadly, his family were already familiar with Churchill Hospital, as his mother Kim had undergone surgery there earlier that year for bowel cancer.

Gradually, Stuart’s condition improved. His appointments became less frequent, and he was eventually able to self-medicate. By 2016, seven years after his diagnosis, he was considered a lower-risk patient. Today, he continues to attend annual check-ups.

Stuart credits the nurses at Churchill for helping him through the darkest days. “They were brilliant—always cheerful, supportive, and up for a laugh. I met some incredible people during my treatment,” he said.

When Stuart and Abbie met, Stuart was still under regular observation from the outpatients’ consultants at the Churchill, although his treatment had concluded.

They are now married and Abbie is running to honour the hospital that gave Stuart a second chance.

She told us: “Without the Churchill Hospital, Stuart wouldn’t be here today, and we would never have met,” Abbie said. “This run is my way of saying thank you.”

Join us in wishing Abbie – and all our runners – the very best of luck on Sunday!

If you would like to donate to Abbie's fundraising click here.