A REDDITCH man and former Birmingham City football player will be tackling the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run half marathon on Sunday, October 14.

Paul Tait will be supporting his old team mate Paul Devlin raise £20,000 to fund treatment not available on the NHS that will help keep Devlin's daughter Annie alive and give her a better quality of life.

It is a miracle Annie, 12, is alive after an uncanny chain of events saved her from certain death when she suffered an adrenal crisis last December, caused by Addison’s Disease, a rare disorder of the adrenal glands.

Redditch-based Paul had to have his right knee reconstructed at 19 and had eight further operations during an injury-plagued career but is determined to get to the finish line for Annie.

“I keep fit through Thai boxing, and the Thaitans Martial Arts Academy in Redditch is doing a lot of work with me because running 13.1 miles is going to be tough,” he said.

Tait, who runs a football coaching company for youngsters, called Midlands Soccer Coaching, added: "I just want to do my bit to help Devs reach the £20,000 mark for Annie and raise awareness of this condition, because so little is known about it.”

The pair, close friends, will join thousands of runners of all abilities at the half marathon, which features an improved route that starts on the Broad Street ‘Golden Mile’ and finishes on Jennens Road.

The 13.1-mile challenge will take runners, joggers and walkers through Cannon Hill Park and past such iconic sights as the Selfridges building, Edgbaston Stadium and Bournville’s Cadbury World.

Devlin said: “Annie has to take four oral doses of hydrocortisone per day. The first is at 6.30am, when we pretty much have to jump start her.

“This medication keeps her alive as everyday things can make her seriously ill. From falling over to vomiting, diarrhoea or a long journey – her body can’t deal with any kind of stress."

He added: “We’re trying to raise enough money for her to have a steroid pump fitted, which would inject the medication into her bloodstream, meaning she would only need one dose a day. The pump would also help us accurately increase the dosage when required.

“Also, as she gets older, Annie may need further medical help as the condition can cause other complications."

For more information or to donate, go to justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sally-devlin-1.