MORE than 1,000 people have signed up for the OX5 Run and parents, patients and staff at Oxford Children’s Hospital have called for one final push before tomorrow’s deadline.

Fundraisers can sign up for Sunday’s Blenheim Palace five-mile run until 11.30pm tomorrow as the hospital looks to raise £150,000 to break the £1m barrier since the Oxford Mail event began in 2003.

One of the patients celebrating the 1,000-runner milestone yesterday was five-year-old Myleigh King who is being at the hospital for a heart condition.

The five-year-old’s condition means her heart beats too fast and often requires treatment.

Her mum Carlene, from North Leigh, who is a regular at the hospital as her four-year-old son Dylan has bad asthma, said the hospital staff made her visits so much easier.

She said: “They are just brilliant in every way, the play specialists are great with the children - even if it means you can quickly rush and grab a hot drink.

“We are so lucky to have such an amazing hospital.

“I have sponsored someone this year to do the OX5 Run and it’s great to have so many people sign up to raise money - it’s so important.”

Sarah Vaccari, from Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Charitable Funds, said: “Everything is in place for another amazing OX5RUN. The weather forecast is great and we already have over 1,000 people signed up to take part – so we are now raring to go.

“This is a really special year for the hospital as we celebrate its tenth anniversary – so we want to make the 2017 run one of our best ever.

“You can run or walk the 5 miles at beautiful Blenheim and there is still time to sign up as online registration closes at 11.30pm tomorrow.”

Last year’s event saw a record-breaking £115,000 raised, which has already been spent on a sensory room to educate and entertain children in its high dependency unit, equipment to stabilise premature babies and a specialist nurse for children with severe asthma.

If more than £150,000 is raised this year then the Oxford Mail’s annual event will break the £1m mark.

Malakai Seddon-Minkah, from Greater Leys has been in the hospital since Sunday night as doctors work to bring the type 1 diabetic’s blood sugar levels back to normal.

His mum Maxine said the staff and environment at the hospital had been invaluable and called for fundraisers to make one final push.

She said: “The staff are great with him, he also autistic and has other issues but they have gone above and beyond for him to make us more comfortable.

“We have been in and out for appointments and things and they are always brilliant.

Ms Seddon urged people to sign up to the run or donate to someone who is running to keep funding the extras on the wards.

She said: “He loves the hospital, they gave him a DVD player and an Xbox to play on and he enjoys it here which is brilliant.

“I hope as much money is raised as possible for such a worthy cause.”

The OX5 Run is being sponsored by recruitment firm Allen Associates for the ninth year.

To sign up go to hospitalcharity.co.uk/ox5run.