News
Essex men taking on 100 KM Thames Path Challenge for Colchester boy with disabilities
09 Sep 2025
Two Essex men are taking on the 100 KM Thames Path Challenge to raise funds for a six-year-old boy with multiple disabilities.
Alexander Liggins, 6, who lives in Tiptree was born 16 weeks premature when his parents Alison and Matt were on holiday in Mallorca.
James Marshall, 47, from Brentwood, has been a friend of the family for 25 years and happened to be in Mallorca when Alexander was born and came to visit. He and another family friend, David Cross, 47, from Harold Wood will be taking on the challenge this weekend.
James said: ‘I’ve known Alex from when he was just a few days old. David and I are delighted to be raising funds and awareness for him.’
Alex’s mum Alison, a merchandiser said: ‘It was quite a shock when Alex was born, we’d only arrived in Mallorca six hours earlier! We were eventually repatriated back to the UK after 9.5 weeks. Alexander stayed in hospital for another 6.5 weeks, and then we finally came home!’
‘All was going well until, at 9 months old, he developed infantile spasms, which is a rare form of epilepsy that causes developmental delays.
‘We stayed in hospital for a month while we tried to gain control, and we did have a brief spell in remission, only for Alex to relapse again a couple of months later.’
‘Alexander is non-mobile, non-verbal and PEG fed. He was having up to 300 spasms per day at one point but this is now under better control. The main problem at the moment is dystonia, which is restricting the little movement he has as his left hip has become dislocated due to his muscles pulling it out.’
‘In spite of this he is a happy little boy who loves to be outside, socialising, enjoys school and loves hydrotherapy and being in the water.’
More than 2000 people will be taking on the main Thames Path Challenge from Putney Bridge to Henley over two days.
"It is a really difficult challenge and Matt and I are both grateful beyond words that James and David have chosen to do this for Alexander. We wish them the very best of luck. Matt will be there at the end to give them a well-deserved hug and to buy them a beer!"
Alexander's mum
Friends and family have already rallied around raising funds through events including a 35 mile walk and a mud run. The family are currently prioritising raising money for an off-road wheelchair and therapies to ease Alexander’s dystonia.
The family is being supported by children’s charity Tree of Hope, which helps families raise money for children and young people like Alexander for medical treatments and healthcare services not freely available to them through the NHS and social care. The charity provides fundraising guidance, campaign development, financial management, charity registration and emotional support from the Family Support team. Families like Alexander’s benefit from having the support, tools and resources to fundraise effectively as well as access to gift aid, corporate support while also providing donor reassurance.
"We wish Alexander and his family all the best with their fundraising activities and best of luck to James and David for the Thames Path Challenge! We are pleased to give them support in reaching their fundraising goals."
CEO
To donate to Alexander’s fund or to sponsor James and David, visit https://www.treeofhope.org.uk/get-involved/childrens-campaigns/alexander-the-brave/ or https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/100k-for-Alexander-the-Brave
