A long long time ago and in a different life I had a boyfriend called Richie. Richie and I met at University. He liked to live life to the full and endlessly entertained us all the way through Uni until we graduated and went off to try and be grown-ups. Eventually living life to the full meant going to Oz for a gap year, while I carried on with my rather self-absorbed and entirely misguided ambitions to be “an academic” (I got rather easily put off by a nasty brush with Kant, side-tracked by the student union, and seduced by the job title “President” and a salaried sabbatical – but that’s another story which ends with a Yank for a husband and a career at the bar). As was always entirely predictable (although not at the time) we went our separate ways and we are now both happily married. But we did have a blast back then. And although its been 15 years since we were all at Uni and in Richie’s thrall, we all still keep in touch and meet up when we can (kids, careers, illness and motorways permitting). And Richie is in many ways still the linchpin that keeps us all together.

Yes, everybody loves Richieboy (including my husband). So I’d like to share him with you.

Richie has leukaemia. Or he did. Except that he likes to live life to the full and, after a bit of a gap year (spent mainly in hospital), he’s back and even more determined to live that life he has worked so hard to keep. And now he’s in training.

In May Richie will be walking the London Marathon to raise money for the Anthony Nolan Trust, a charity that provides stem cell donors for people like Richie. Richie’s donor came via the Anthony Nolan Trust and he probably saved his life.

Our Richieboy has raised almost £8,000 so far. Richie’s brother Chris is running the Marathon and Mrs Richieboy (Rosie) is going to be there to support him (I’m picturing bucket of oranges, bottles of water and a towel).

I’ve got four requests for those of you who have read this far (for which, my thanks):

• Please circulate this post to anyone you know with deep pockets – or tweet it
• Make a donation if you can (Just Giving or text PLUC50 £1, £2, £5 or £10 to 70070)
• Consider joining the Anthony Nolan stem cell donation register (I’ve done it – you just have to spit in a pot and fill in a form)
• Tell Richie how amazing he is and wish him luck. (@pluckyrich)

I don’t usually use this blog to make appeals for charidees. But what’s the point in having ex-girlfriends if you can’t tap ’em for a free blog post now and again?

Go Pluckyrich! xxx