Dad to run 270 miles from Truro to Worcester for daughter with cerebral palsy

Frankie is four years old, happy, resilient, and was told she may never walk on her own. Her dad refuses to accept that without a fight, and that fight starts at Treliske.

On 23rd May, National Grid quantity surveyor James Hotham will set off from the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro on an 8-day, 270-mile ultramarathon that finishes at Worcester Royal Hospital in his home county. He will average 31 miles a day. Until recently, his longest regular run was a 5K.

Why Truro is the starting line

The route is not random. It was during a family holiday in Cornwall that Frankie was born unexpectedly at 28 weeks at Treliske. She suffered a brain bleed, had to be resuscitated, and was placed on a ventilator as soon as a heart rate was detected.

Frankie, now four, has cerebral palsy, global developmental delays, autism, and is currently non-verbal.

“Frankie faces challenges every day that many of us don’t think twice about, moving, communicating, and exploring the world. Despite this, she is the happiest and most resilient little girl,” James said.

“She works incredibly hard every single day, and she is the reason me and my three close friends, Will Duggan, Tom Ainge, Connor Davies, are taking on this challenge.”

“I’ve been told she may never walk independently and I refuse to accept ‘never’ without exhausting every possible option.”

Three aims, one run

James has set out three goals for the run: to raise awareness of cerebral palsy, to raise £50,000 for Frankie to have stem cell treatment in the US and intensive paediatric therapy in London, and to push sign-ups to a parliamentary petition calling for an end to the postcode lottery in cerebral palsy care.

The GoFundMe page currently sits at £30,624 raised of the £50,000 target, with 692 donations. The funds are earmarked for NAPA Intensive Therapy in London and stem cell therapy abroad, treatments not available on the NHS.

The parliamentary petition, titled “Review need for a national standard of care for children with cerebral palsy,” was created by James and has reached 725 signatures. It needs 10,000 for a government response and 100,000 to be considered for debate in Parliament. It closes on 24th August 2026. The proposals are referred to in the petition as “Frankie’s Future.”

From 5Ks to “uncharted territory”

Months of early morning and evening sessions have taken James from the occasional 5K to what he calls the “unchartered territory” of an ultramarathon.

“Training has been going well overall,” he said. “The biggest challenge so far has been managing training around family life, work and recovery, but that’s also what keeps me motivated.”

“During training, I’ve spoken to many parents online who are facing the same postcode lottery and systemic challenges we’ve experienced. What started as fundraising for my daughter has now grown into something bigger.”

“I hope I can create change not only for Frankie, but for other children with cerebral palsy, now and in the future.”

Cornish cafés fuelling the run

A handful of Cornish businesses are feeding the team along the way.

Anna Cornelius, of Beach Box Cafe in Wadebridge, said: “We’re proud to support James and his team on this incredible challenge. As a local café in North Cornwall, we believe in backing our community and causes that truly matter. Frankie’s story really moved us, and if we can play even a small part in helping raise awareness and support her journey, it’s an easy yes for us to fuel the team. We wish them all the strength and success on the road ahead and are happy to provide them with sustenance to keep them going!”

Pizziola Jono, from Truro’s Pizza Cabina, said: “We’re really excited and proud to support James and Frankie in their epic adventure. We are starting them off on the right foot here in Truro with some fine pizza to fill their bellies!”

James and his three friends leave Treliske on 23rd May. 270 miles, 8 days, one little girl in Worcester waiting at the finish.