THE woman who helped fulfil one of five-year-old Skye Hall’s dying wishes is running 500 miles in his memory.

Lisa Ruggles, from Fringford near Bicester, is running 100 miles for each year of Skye’s short life after he died following his battle a brain tumour.

Before Skye died in August last year his final request was to go swimming.

Too ill to go to a traditional pool, Skye’s family – parents Andrew, Sally, and brother Jesse – put out an appeal in the Oxford Mail to have someone help him swim at their Abingdon home.

Along with her husband Keith, Mrs Ruggles runs the Jacuzzi hot tub retailer Ruggles Leisure and came to the family’s aid by installing a hot tub in their back garden for free. The 36-year-old said: “I will never forget that day for the rest of my life.

“Skye told me how he was going to take the seal flippers we gave him to his next swimming lesson.

“Every so often he would cry out in pain because he couldn’t stretch his fingers. It was heart-breaking. He did get to go in his hot tub. He seemed relaxed and even managed a smile.”

Skye’s mother Sally said: “Skye loved watching the process of installation nearly as much as going in it.”

Skye’s wish was fulfilled just in time, as he died the next day at home.

Mrs Hall said: “We offered to give the hot tub back but Lisa said she couldn’t do that to Jesse on top of losing his brother. We now go in and Jesse often says Skye has ‘hopped down’ for a dip in the tub with him.”

Mrs Ruggles, who has two step-daughters and three children, said: “As a mother I honestly couldn’t imagine the pain Andrew, Sally, Skye and Jesse were going through.

“When I learnt he passed away after we installed the hot tub, I couldn’t stop crying.

“I was so touched by Skye’s will power and words of wisdom ‘make the most of what you’ve got’ that I decided to learn how to run and put myself through this challenge.”

Having never run before, she is now running 500 miles in one year to raise money for Blue Skye Thinking, the charity set up by Skye’s parents to fund research into children’s cancer treatments.

Having run more than 300km (approximately 186 miles), her next race will be the Blenheim Palace 7k Run on May 17.

She said: “My initial challenge was to run 500km but I am already more than halfway, so have decided to push it to 500 miles in 2015.”

With a target of £500, Mrs Ruggles said the runs were challenging, but worth it.

“Anyone who knows me knows how much I hate exercise. But Skye opened my eyes to see I could do much more.”