A MEMBER of the nursing support team at Pontypool’s County Hospital will be running 200 miles in just four days in memory of her younger brother.

Ellen Wood, 52, will be taking part in the Ultra Great Britain 2017 with her brother Michael Cooke – running cross-country from Stockport to Hornsea.

The siblings will be running in memory of their younger brother Philip, who died in 1984 aged 14 from Adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD.

“We are running in memory of our little brother Philip,” said Ms Wood, 52, who lives in Crickhowell.

“He was a very special little boy who faced his illness with great faith and acceptance.

“We miss him everyday and he is not only is in our hearts but also in the hearts of many others.”

ALD, is a deadly genetic and degenerative disease that affects one in 18,000, and it is most prevalent in boys and young men.

The condition destroys the myelin, which acts as a protective sheath that surrounds the brain’s neurons - the nerve cells that allow us to think and to control our muscles.

Ms Wood and her brother will be setting off from the Greater Manchester town on August 19 - which would have been Philip’s birthday.

“The race across Britain of 200 miles across the Pennines will be starting on the day he passed away,” she said.

“This is a huge challenge that has to be completed in four days.”

The pair will have to complete 81 miles in the first 24 hours alone otherwise they will be expelled from the race.

Ms Wood added that only 11 runners completed the challenge last year, which finishes on the coast in the East Riding of Yorkshire on August 23.

Both runners will be taking part with children’s charities in mind.

“We hope to raise essential funds helping the sick children of Wales and their families,” said Ms Wood, who is running from the Welsh charity Ty Hafan, while her brother will be raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital

“Ty Hafan is an amazing hospice in the heart of Wales provided essential support to sick children and their families during this emotional and heartbreaking period.”

Ms Wood, who only started training for the 200-mile ultra-marathon in January, has another claim to fame ahead of next week’s race.

“I am the only one living in south Wales taking part,” she said.

“Although my brother is Welsh he lives in Surrey. So I am the only one.

“There was another person due to take part but he pulled out. So it will just be me.”

To donate to Ms Wood’s page, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/ellen-wood2.