Two parents are tackling the BUPA Great North Run inspired by their 20-month-old daughter.

April and Jonathan Birch, from Kensington Street, in Keighley, will run the half-marathon on September 19 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, after their daughter Lauren was diagnosed with the condition.

Jonathan, an electronic and electrical engineer and already a runner, is hoping to complete the course in under two hours.

April, a self-employed book-keeper, has had to train especially for the event and hopes a knee injury won’t stop her from crossing the finish line in around three hours.

She told the Keighley News: “Lauren was diagnosed with CF at three weeks old after having major bowel surgery at just five days old.

“We didn’t know anything about it and were devastated when we were told, it was different to how we had imagined becoming parents.

“Having CF means that it is difficult for her to process fats, so she has trouble putting on weight and has digestive system problems.

“We also found out that she has developmental problems and will be registered partially sighted.

“But despite all of this, she is the most happy, smiley child. Everybody — and I mean everybody — adores her.”

Mrs Birch said she and her husband were running for CF to help fund gene therapy research so that Lauren and other children like her could look forward to a bright future. They have already raised more than £850.

To sponsor them, visit virginmoneygiving.com/JonathanBirch.

l Cystic Fibrosis is caused by a single defective gene and is one of the UK’s most common life-threatening inherited diseases.