A DEVOTED mum and dad from Partington are aiming to raise £50,000 for charity after their two-year-old son died of a brain tumour.

Carly Rogers and David Kershaw lost Jake Kershaw just a few weeks after his second birthday in September last year after the condition went undetected.

The post mortem revealed a brain tumour the size of a tennis ball and now the family is trying to raise funds and awareness of symptoms by organising a fun run from Manchester City’s football ground to Manchester United, which will follow a route along the canal.

David, who also has a son Charlie, aged one, said: “If I can stop at least two more families going through what we have I have done my task well.

“I just want other people to be able to spot the signs. We took Jake to the doctors several times because he kept holding his head to one side and falling over but we were told he was fine. He always seemed such a healthy, happy toddler. He died suddenly at home, we tried to give him CPR but it was too late.

“We discovered three days later he had a large benign brain tumour that had started to bleed.”

David and Carly, who is expecting another baby in January, plan to donate the money to the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust, which carries out the highest level of laboratory based childhood and adult brain tumour research in the country, and the New Children’s Hospital Appeal, which provides specialist services to the region’s poorliest children.

David added: “Our aim is to be able to set up a charity in Jake’s name too.”

The 4.9 mile run, whose youngest participant is just five-years-old, will take place on August 2 and David is keen to sign up another 250 volunteers, bringing the total to 500. People can also opt to act as wardens on the day.

Once the runners get to Old Trafford they will be treated to a fun fair, a raffle, a tomobola and cake stall.

In addition there will be an auction, the main prize being a ball signed by the Man United squad. At the end of the day 1,000 balloons will be released, 500 white and 500 red, with a picture of Jake’s face on each one.

The mascots for both City and United will be there along with children’s television presenter Naomi Wilkinson.

Please visit jakekershaw.co.uk for further information or to sign up to this event.