Fundraising in memory of a parent: How Lauren Houston is making sure her mother's legacy lives on

“Back then you didn’t have social media and all those other outlets so it was harder to find information and other people going through the same thing.”

Scleroderma is a rare, chronic disease of the immune system, blood vessels and connective tissue. It is an autoimmune condition, meaning that the immune system becomes overactive and attacks healthy tissue within the body. Lauren was just 15 years old when her mother, Liz, was diagnosed.

The condition progressed quickly, yet Liz (pictured below with Lauren) faced every stage with extraordinary resilience. As her symptoms intensified, her family found themselves constantly adapting, learning new ways to support her through each change. 

Their local community also showed up in ways Lauren still remembers vividly. After five years of fighting the disease, Liz passed away in 2009 at 44 years old.

Now Lauren is running for SRUK, the only UK charity dedicated solely to supporting people living with scleroderma and Raynaud’s. They aim to improve lives by raising awareness, funding vital research, and empowering those affected through better treatments and earlier diagnosis. 

She is one of nine runners taking on the TCS London Marathon for the charity, and after connecting with the team on WhatsApp, she’s excited to meet them on Marathon Day.

“I read everyone’s stories and just started crying. They weren’t identical to ours, but there were so many similarities. I wish I had more of those connections, both when my mum was going through the disease and afterwards. It’s been very emotional in that sense, thinking, ‘These are my people.’”

“That speaks to how much mum was viewed by the community,” Lauren says. “The donations came in so fast. It was really cool to see how my mum made people feel and what she was to the community in all the comments that people left.”

She’s now passed £6,000 and hopes to raise even more. Lauren has been sharing her marathon journey on Instagram, but she’s also found support offline by tapping into her local community. 

Inspired by another SRUK runner who created a flyer to hand out in their neighbourhood explaining why they were running the TCS London Marathon and encouraging neighbours to give them a wave on cold training days - Lauren decided to do the same. 

“It’s lovely being out and having neighbours wave and give you that extra bit of support,” she says. 

The TCS London Marathon will be her tenth marathon. She has already run Berlin and has her sights set on completing the other Abbott World Majors to earn her Six Star medal. She remains driven by the 26.2-mile challenge. 

“Running has been a big outlet,” she says. “The marathon is so much more than running. It’s such a mental challenge, so it's always been my go-to to clear my head or process thoughts. That’s where my love of running really began.”

This year, guided by a coach for the first time, she’s aiming for a 3:22 finish. 

“There’s constantly wanting to beat your time and improve, but there’s always more to learn,” she says. “So many things can go right or wrong in a marathon. You can train perfectly and still have a tough race. Every race teaches you something new.”

It’s impossible not to see the connection between Lauren’s childhood experiences and her career today. She works as a travel nurse, a profession she, and both her siblings, pursued after witnessing firsthand what compassionate care can mean.

“Every shift. Every patient. It’s always on my mind that you are trying to help people through the worst time of their lives. They are scared and not feeling well. I ask myself: How would I want my mom to be treated? Or how would I want to be treated?”

It’s also why Lauren hopes her fundraising will help SRUK deepen understanding of the condition, and, one day, contribute to finding a cure.