Jonathan leaves the missing years behind him

He was in his second year at Hull University, studying law and had a promising career ahead of him when he began to feel unwell. His parents were on holiday celebrating their wedding anniversary when they took the call and his mother, Helen, instantly knew her son wasn't just in need of some good home cooking or suffering from too many late nights.

That was November 2006. The next thing Jonathan, from Howden, remembers is waking up to a new and very different life at the end of 2008. In the intervening two years, he'd been diagnosed with a number of cancerous brain tumours that were so aggressive they spread down his spine, and he suffered a series of further complications. He'd also had his 20th and 21st birthdays.

Jonathan has no memory of the hours his family spent by his bedside willing him to pull through the numerous major operations which gave him a fighting chance of survival, or the MRSA bugs which at times threatened his recovery. It is, he says, best that way.

"It was like someone flicked a switch. One moment I was at university, the next I was here. Occasionally, I get flashbacks about being in hospital, but I have no real memory of what I went through. Two years of my life simply disappeared. I'm glad I don't recall what happened. It was a bad time and I prefer to think about the good times.

"I remember going to a school open day in a kilt, and I think about my favourite teachers like Christopher Bailey, who taught me biology and some of the field trips we went on. I can't change what happened, so it's important not to dwell on it but to look forward."

Today Jonathan has to use a wheelchair – the months spent in a hospital bed at both St James' in Leeds and the city's General Infirmary have affected his leg muscles – and the impairment of his short term memory, a consequence of the tumours and treatment , while improving, is erratic.

He now relies on memory boards to tell him what he has planned for the day and, while hydrotherapy and physiotherapy sessions have brought some movement back to his legs, there remains a long road ahead. However, given the earlier prognosis, it's a miracle he's here at all.

"Jonathan has always had a very sharp sense of humour and while he's had his dark days it's this which has always shone through," says Helen. "When he was in hospital there were so many awful things to deal with that all of us resorted to the darkest of humour.

"People often say, 'I don't know how you coped'. To be honest, I don't either, except that we had no choice and Jonathan wasn't someone who was going to go without a fight."

Now 23 years old, Jonathan isn't quite out of the woods. A recent MRI scan revealed no further tumours had developed, but the family all know there is still a possibility that the cancer could return. However, far from waiting for the worse to happen, Jonathan is determined to make the most of life.

Family friend and sports physiotherapist Ian Morgan has been a constant support to Jonathan since he became ill. At first he was there just to try and increase his mobility, but recently he's also been responsible for sparking his competitive spirit.

Earlier this year, the pair completed the Jane Tomlinson 10k in Leeds in just over an hour, despite Jonathan almost being catapulted out of his wheelchair after hitting an uneven pavement and this weekend he will join the 54,000 others hoping to make it from Newcastle to South Shields in the Bupa Great North Run.

"I've got a new wheelchair especially to take part in races," he says. "It has bigger wheels than my everyday one, so hopefully it means that I will get round in one piece. I've been going to the gym a lot to try to build up my strength and Ian seems pretty confident that we'll be ok. Also he said the last bit was downhill, which should be good for me in my chair.

"When I was really ill, Ian ran the Bupa Great North Run on my behalf to raise money for Andrea's Gift which funds research into brain tumours. He always said that when I was well enough the two of us would do it together. I didn't really have much choice, but having the challenge there has given me something to focus on.

"Because my memory is not so good I don't know how much I'll be able to remember of the race, but I know my family will be taking lots of pictures so I will have a permanent reminder."

As well as a massive personal achievement, Jonathan is also taking part in the race to raise money for the Candlelighters Trust. The Yorkshire-based charity is dedicated to supporting youngsters with cancer or serious blood disorders and their families, as well as promoting research into childhood cancer. Its ultimate aim is to find cures, but until then the charity also funds much needed medical equipment, improvements to wards as well as providing books, games and holiday breaks on the East Coast.

"I've not had a great few years, but I've also had a lot of support and met some incredible people," says Jonathan. "This is my way of saying thank you."

I'll be there with Jonathan on the start line. I've spent most of the last few months wondering why I ever thought running 13 miles on a Sunday morning was a good idea and moaning about the long training runs which end in the pitch black.

Meeting Jonathan suddenly makes the whole thing seem worthwhile.

To sponsor Jonathan or just to find out a little more about him and his chosen charity, visit www.justgiving.co.uk/ MorganandTiplady-raceagain

Last minute advice for competitors

The 30th Bupa Great North Run is just a few days away and, as the panic starts to set in, what should you be doing in the lead up

to race day?

1. During the week – attempt no more than two light running or cross-training sessions at 60-70 per cent effort.

2. The day before – if you have never tried carbohydrate loading before don't try it on your first race. Instead have a normal sized home cooked meal.

3. Just before bed – think about running well and visualise yourself crossing the finish line.

4. Race day – don't eat anything an hour before the race or during the first 30 minutes of the run as this can upset your blood sugars.

5. Run like a Rolls Royce not a Ferrari – this means build up your speed slowly, slow down for corners and come to a stop slowly.

Simon Fairthorne, Physiotherapist at Bupa's Centre of Sports Medicine Excellence in the Barbican, London.