A 10-year-old boy has raised more than £6,000 for mental health charity Mind after completing the Junior Great North Run in memory of his father, who died by suicide.
Carlton took on the 4km event in Newcastle following the death of his dad, Karl Wears, earlier this month.
His fundraising page has since reached £6,665 thanks to donations from hundreds of supporters, with the remarkable response coming after Carlton and his family endured an incredibly difficult period.
Karl died the day before Father’s Day in June, leaving Carlton without the opportunity to have a final conversation with his dad.
In the weeks that followed, the youngster decided to channel his grief into raising money and awareness for Mind.
His mum Julie explained the reason behind the fundraiser on his JustGiving page, writing: “My son Carlton is doing the junior great north run in memory of his dad who we sadly lost 4 weeks ago due to suicide. We have chosen the charity Mind, we’re all so proud of Carlton. Every step is for his dad, and every donation will help others who are struggling. If you’d like to support him, any donation, big or small, means the world.”
But losing his father was not the only traumatic experience Carlton had to contend with.
Just nine weeks after Karl’s death, Carlton was involved in a serious accident which resulted in the amputation of his right index finger.
Despite everything he had been through in such a short period, he went ahead with the Junior Great North Run on September 12 and completed the 4km course in his dad’s memory.
There was also a touching football connection between father and son.
Karl was a Liverpool supporter, while Carlton supports Newcastle United. At his father’s funeral, however, Carlton wore a Liverpool shirt in tribute to his dad.
The youngster also received a personal video message from Newcastle’s Dan Burn.
Carlton’s sister Demi spoke of the family’s pride following everything her younger brother had faced.
She said: “Carlton has been through so much at such a young age, and we are incredibly proud of him.
“Mind have even personally contacted our Mam following the response to his story and reopened his fundraising page so that people who missed the opportunity to donate can still contribute.”
The response continued to grow as Carlton’s story was shared online, with thousands of people donating, sending messages and helping spread the word.
His mum later responded to the wave of support. Commenting on a viral post about Carlton’s incredible efforts, she wrote: “Honestly, we are completely blown away by the love and kindness shown to Carlton.
“Thousands of people have donated, shared his story and sent the most beautiful messages, and I honestly don’t think you’ll ever realise just how much it means to us.
“After everything Carlton has faced, knowing so many people are behind him, cheering him on and believing in him has touched our hearts more than words can say. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Every single one of you has made a difference. (Carlton’s mam) xx”.
The money is being raised for Mind, a mental health charity working across England and Wales.
Carlton’s family also hope the attention surrounding his run can extend beyond fundraising, by helping people who are struggling with their mental health and potentially preventing other families from experiencing the loss of a loved one.
What began as one boy’s decision to complete a 4km run for his dad has now brought hundreds of supporters together.
And with thousands raised, every step Carlton took in his father’s memory has helped support the cause he and his family chose during an extraordinarily difficult time.
Well done, Carlton!
Featured image credit: Instagram/JustGiving
