A TEACHER will run one kilometre for every day of a tragic toddler’s life after the youngster suddenly died from lung cancer.

Elaine Leith, from Springboig, has set a goal of completing 1070km by the end of the year, in honour of two-year-old Megan Clarkson who passed away in January.

The 41-year-old will also be taking part in the Edinburgh 10K race alongside Megan’s bereaved mum Kelly, 37, to raise funds for a Glasgow charity which helps critically ill children.

Violin teacher Elaine - who has already completed 421k - said: “It will be very emotional once I come to the end of the challenge.”

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The mum-of two was in a state of “disbelief” upon hearing of family friend Kelly’s tragic loss earlier this year.

Elaine recalled: “I’d seen Megan from a baby up until she passed and it was just a feeling of disbelief that this wee smiley gorgeous thing that was just full of life, could be gone.

“Sometimes in life something touches you so deeply that you feel compelled to challenge yourself in a bid to try and raise some money to help others who may find themselves in an unimaginable situation.”

Superfit Elaine, who runs the Jiggly Joggers group in her area, has already raised more than £1,665 towards the cause.

The tot’s mum Kelly, from Kirkcaldy, set up her online blog Megan’s Journey after claiming six doctors failed to spot her stricken daughter’s disease in two years, when medics initially brushed it off as a bad cough.

The angelic youngster tragically died on January 2 this year after a cardiac arrest following a gruelling operation to remove her right lung.

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Asthma was suspected before she was diagnosed with Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, a rare and aggressive kids’ cancer.

Megan died just three weeks after she was diagnosed, leaving her loved ones devastated.

Since then Kelly has demanded an investigation as she accused medics of fobbing her off when her only daughter developed a cough in 2016, aged six months.

But she is determined to carry on Megan’s memory and has already raised more than £7,000 for the ‘home away from home’ accommodation for families with children in hospital.

Kelly said: “Elaine’s youngest sister is one of my best friends.

“We’ll both be taking part in the Edinburgh 10k together and any money raised will go towards Ronald McDonald House.

“Elaine is carrying out the monumental task of running 1070 kilometres over 2019, one kilometre for every day of Megan’s all too short life.

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“She is doing this in memory of Megan for Ronald McDonald House Glasgow who we used for a very short time during Megan’s final days.

“Elaine felt compelled to do something pretty soon after Megan died and it was her who suggested the idea.

“I thought it was pretty insane at first when she asked me to do it because it was such a huge commitment.

“But she plods away every week and has signed up for loads of races already to ensure she clocks up the miles.”

Holding back tears, Kelly, who is also mum to six-year-old Myles, continued: “For someone like Megan, who was just shy of three when she was at Ronald McDonald House, she was sitting doing something she loved and it distracted her from what was happening.

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“We had to be in the hospital but there she was able to draw and speak to therapists and express creatively what was happening to her.

“All you want for your children is to see them flourish and this is the only way Megan can flourish now.”

Visit www.facebook.com/meggymoosjourney/