A REPORTER for the Times is to take on a big challenge to show his support for his terminally ill cousin. Tom French, reporter for the Okehampton Times, has signed up to run the Bournemouth Marathon on Wednesday, October 5 to raise money for his cousin, Jo Smith. Jo, aged 36 and mum to three-year-old son Rudey, is battling two rare terminal illnesses. Doctors believe Jo is the only person in the world battling the combination of pulmonary hypertension, a degenerative heart and lung condition, and lymphatic cancer, a cancer of the white blood cells that fight off infection. Jo is caught in a tragic Catch-22 situation. For Jo to have a heart and lung transplant to cure her pulmonary hypertension, she would have to be free of cancer. However, the treatment for Jo's cancer is so aggressive, her organs already under strain from her pulmonary hypertension could not take the additional stress. A campaign, 'Breathe for Jo', has been started to raise £30,000 for Jo to travel to Thailand and undergo a potentially life saving course of immunotherapy treatment at the Better Being Hospital. The campaign has been set up by Jo's best friend Sarah Lacey, and within days had raised thousands of pounds for Jo's treatment. In addition to the immediate fundraising initiative, Jo's friend Sarah and The Voice quarter finalist Adam Isaac have organised Breathe Fest, a fundraising music festival to be held on July 11 and 12 in Exeter's Northernhay Gardens. Tom is looking to boost fundraising efforts by pledging to run the Bournemouth Marathon. In just under six months, Tom will have to go from being a complete running novice to completing the challenging 26.2-mile course. His training has started in earnest, and he is determined to be prepared for the challenge. He said: 'Jo is a warm, caring, fun and inspirational person, and a wonderful mother to her young son Rudey. 'Such a diagnosis would overcome the will of most of us, yet through it all Jo's indomitable spirit is keeping her tremendously positive and upbeat. 'Anyone who knows me will realise that a beer-swilling, chip-munching fiend like myself won't find it easy to complete a marathon, but this is absolutely nothing compared to the battles Jo is facing each day with great bravery and dignity. 'If I can help raise the profile of Jo's fundraising campaign, and maybe raise a few hundred quid for her cause, then bring on the running!' For now, Tom is asking that any donations toward his marathon efforts be donated online at the campaign's Just Giving page, before the closing date in just over a fortnight's time. The page address is http://www.justgiving.com/yimby/breatheforjocampaign#/active">www.justgiving.com/yimby/breatheforjocampaign#/active If you donate online, be sure to mention the marathon on your donation so Tom can add your donation to his marathon tally. Alternatively, you can donate at either of the Tavistock or Okehampton Times offices, or e-mail Tom directly on [email protected]">[email protected] To find out more, visit the Breathe for Jo and Breathe Fest Facebook pages, or http://www.breathefest.com">www.breathefest.com or the @BreatheForJo Twitter page.