Hi, my name is Coran Grewar and I am team captain of DJ Lollypop, a team entered in this year's Melbourne Marathon Carnival. I am also running the marathon. It will be my first ever long distance run. Mad? Yes! Committed? Yes! I am committed to completing the 42.195km with whatever it takes. I am doing so to try and raise funds for Ronald McDonald House in Parkville in Melbourne. It is my way of trying to say thank-you and to help support an organisation that gave us support when we needed it.

In November 2010 our daughter (then aged 3) was diagnosed with an optic nerve tumour which needed treatment. We live in regional Victoria, approximately 250kms from Melbourne. We also have three other children who at the time were aged 9, 6 and 12 months.

Our social worker at the Royal Children's Hospital organised a room for us at Ronald McDonald House. It was the first of many stays there in the early stages of our daughter's treatment. It was everything that we needed. A place where we could stay together as a family, a home away from home for however long we needed it.

When you are a Ronald McDonald House family, it is irrelevant how you came to be there, the bond that you share through your children is all that matters. You all have someone who, to you, is more special than life itself, someone who is being asked to face the harsh realities of life at an age that is unfair, someone, if it were possible to do so, you would trade places with in an instant.

If it hadn't been for Ronald McDonald House, yes it would have been financially harder for us to cope, but we would have. However, the nurturing that our stays there gave us as a family was beyond value. I am so glad that we didn't have to try and cope without it!

Please help them to give to as many families as they can by helping us!