As if being an intensive care nurse and mum of two weren't demanding enough already, an Abbey Wood woman is taking on a huge challenge for a good cause.

Annie Anderson, 41, who works at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, is in training for the London Marathon because she wants to help children with epilepsy.

She is running on April 28 after being shocked by a lack of support and guidance for parents whose children are epileptic, after her friend's son was diagnosed at the age of three.

Annie said: "My friend Emma and I have shared over 25 years of friendship and experiences including births, deaths, marriages and many, many alcohol-related escapades.

"Six years ago, Emma's third child Leo was born and right from the outset we knew he was going to be special. He often had a faraway look in his eyes and was so ridiculously cute that we all instantly adored him.

"However, three years ago Leo started to have unexplained seizures and following weeks in hospital and numerous horrible invasive tests, Leo was diagnosed with epilepsy."

Annie has been an intensive care nurse at Queen Elizabeth Hospital for the last eight years.

She won a ballot place to run the London Marathon and started training immediately, smoking her last cigarette and cutting back on alcohol.

Click here to donate to Annie's fundraiser.

The mum set a target of £2,620 but has already beaten this and is currently on £2,872.

Annie said that when Leo was diagnosed they discovered there is a "startling" lack of support for families with children like him as they come to terms with an epilepsy diagnosis and the practicalities of living with the condition.

She said: "So the obvious and only choice was to use my ballot marathon place to raise money, and awareness for Young Epilepsy, the only UK charity providing support of this kind.

"They provide many invaluable services for children with epilepsy, including a helpline for parents, providing training in schools for teachers and carers looking after epileptic children, and support for teenagers with epilepsy in finding further education and work placements."

In addition to this some of the funds raised go towards invaluable research.

Annie told News Shopper she is very grateful for the support she has received ahead of her marathon run.

She said: "I couldn’t have done all this without the ongoing support of my boyfriend Geoff who has kept me in a constant supply of running gels, protein powder and headphones.

"And of course my children Kitty and Ashley. Kitty is a keen runner herself and competed in the London Youth Games cross-country two years ago so hopefully she will follow in my footsteps."

Annie also went to her local garage, Gilbert Road Service Station in Belvedere, to see if they would sponsor her and they gave her £1,100 from them and their suppliers.

News Shopper:

She said: "I’d really like to say thank you to them. They always sort my car out for me!"

Annie will on familiar ground when she sets off in the marathon, with the route passing through Greenwich and Woolwich.