ANOTHER week over and I don't think I've ever ran so much in my life, I have clocked up a staggering 36 miles in the last eight days!

So why am I doing it? Well as you may know by now I am in training for the Virgin London Marathon, but the reason why - well I want to raise as much as I can for the Epilepsy Society.

In this blog I want to talk about why I chose to run for the Epilepsy Society and why your donation is very much appreciated.

When I was 13 my sister Siobhan was diagnosed with epilepsy (she was 14) and when it was first discovered it was a real shock for the whole family.

Sat at the dinner table to do her homework, Siobhan seemed to lose control of her right arm and before we knew it she had fallen to the floor and was having an epileptic fit.

Thankfully mum was trained in first aid and a neighbour was a nurse so the situation was dealt with and an ambulance was called.

But seeing my sister in such an horrific state scared me and only a few weeks later when she was diagnosed by a neurologist did things really hit home.

It took ages for the news to sink in and it really affected the family and changed our lifestyle - lots of things had to change, Siobhan had to let us know what she was doing all the time, when she was getting in the shower, when she was out, where she was going and if she felt unwell.

In a sense the illness robbed her of her teenage years.

And with her diagnosis we entered the unknown, but through charities like the Epilepsy Society, Epilepsy Research UK and Epilepsy Action we slowly started to see the bigger picture and how to deal with epilepsy.

It was such a relief to see Siobhan could lead a normal life but there were changes - she has been on medication since, she has had to make a decision not to learn to drive (epileptics can drive when they have been without an epileptic episode for more than three years) and if she is to have a drink on a night out, it has to be limited to one or two.

After several years of grand mal (epileptic fit) seizures, Siobhan has now altered her medication and it has been six years since her last major episode, but she still enters periods of instability which can cause petit mals (or black outs).

While I understand the work being done by epilepsy charities and they have helped my family come to terms with aspects of the illness, it is important to me to pass on the word about how epilepsy sufferers can lead a healthy, active lifestyle.

When I was growing up and at school many classmates and other kids joked about epilepsy and made fun of Siobhan as they didn't understand, but by explaining situations to them and trying to break down stigmatisms of epilepsy, they soon backed down.

I think Siobhan having seizures on the school bus and in classes also made people realise that it is not something to be scoffed at but can be a serious neurological illness.

So with all this in my mind I had to run for an epilepsy charity when I opted to run the marathon.

And it is the difficult times I went through with Siobhan for many years that helps me get out of bed and do my early morning gym sessions and long runs because I can give something back now for the support I had when I needed it.

My legs are aching after a 12 mile run today but on reflection of the run it was just a small price to pay in getting me to the start line.

So, if you can, please dig deep and help me reach my sponsorship target. Visit http://www.justgiving.com/paddyslondonmarathon

And anyone that would like the facts about epilepsy, please drop me an email to patrick.okane@kendal.newsquest.co.uk or visit www.epilepsysociety.org.uk