[Written in November 2013]

Hi

Let me introduce you to my fabulous 16 year old nephew Benjamin. A gorgeously handsome boy with a passion for good food, hanging out with his mates and mountain biking off road in and around Chippenham.  A pretty normal 16 year old, huh?

On Saturday 19 October 2013, Ben and his mum and dad's life came to an abrupt halt.  After feeling "under the weather" for a couple of days and putting it down to growing pains, he had a terrible night of back pain. Suzi, his mum, insisted in the morning that he should go down to A&E to be checked out.

Various tests were done including blood tests.  Within just a few hours the worst was confirmed.  Ben had leukemia.

Four days later, just before chemo was due to start, almost unbelievably, the horrific events became worse.  Ben went down to surgery for a routine lumbar puncture and bone marrow biopsy amongst other procedures.  He walked from his bed to the trolley that took him down to surgery.  When he awoke from that procedure Ben had no feeling in his body from the chest down.  The cancer had spread into Ben's spinal cord.  An emergency operation followed to remove the tumour that had grown.

Tragically the trauma caused by the pressure of the tumour had damaged Ben's spinal cord.

Ben has been paralysed.

He turned 16 five days later.

So here we are a few months down the line since that fateful Saturday.  Ben is still in Bristol Royal Infirmary Children's Hospital undergoing intensive chemotherapy with a view to being transferred to a specialist spinal hospital once he has stabilised with the leukemia.

I cannot even try to imagine the pain and grief that Ben, Suzi and Sam have had to endure over the last few months and will continue to endure in the months and maybe years ahead.  They are however an incredibly close family and the strength and maturity that Ben has shown has been truly incredible.

Apart from family, friends and hospital staff there has been one source of support that Ben, Suzi and Sam are eternally grateful to. That is CLIC Sargent.

CLIC is a charity that cares for children with cancer providing support for their families at home and in hospital.

Let me tell you of just some of the support they have given Sam and Suzi:

1.  The hospital is at least a 40 minute drive from their home so CLIC have given Sam and Suzi the keys to a flat within a half mile walk from the hospital.  No cost.  This enables them both to alternate spending the night with Ben and getting a good nights sleep away from the pressure of the hospital.

2.  CLIC have visited Ben's school to discuss with his friends what is happening to Ben and try and answer all of their understandable questions.

3.CLIC are helping Sam and Suzi work out how financially they can juggle their day to day living costs whilst being with Ben continuously.

 And that is only just the beginning. If you take five minutes to read their website clicsargent.org.uk you will see the enormous support the charity gives to families in the months and years from when cancer is diagnosed.

Where does this justgiving website come in?  All that know me, know that I like to run and indeed I have run for cancer charities before. However, I guess luckily, I have never had to experience the wonderful work that these charities do for families that are going through the worst crisis that they will possibly ever experience.  

So in 2014, I am going to run for CLIC.  In fact, not just me but for some events, Ed, Thomas, Beth and even Oscar our dog will join me!!

I am not going to run just one event but at least one in every month of 2014 starting with ParkRun Newbury on Christmas Day 2013.  I have not finalised which events I will do but it will include my first marathon (gulp!), half marathons, 10ks, 5ks, muddy assault courses, triathlons, moon walks - in fact as many different events as I can find.

So yes, I do want you to sponsor me but better still I'd like you to join me.

Choose an event and get your friends to sponsor you and raise money for CLIC.  I am hoping that I will do enough different type of events to inspire everyone to give one a go.  I am sure there are some of you that would like to do your first marathon/half marathon or even your first 5k.  For those that are not into running, why not join me on a sponsored walk?

I will vary the location of the events but will try and do ones that are within easy reach of Newbury and Chippenham so I can entice as many of you as possible.  For those that are further afield, please join in a local event and raise money for CLIC through this page.

I will probably bore you over the next year with my posts on the different events that I am doing.  Apologies for that.  However, if I can inspire you to join me or donate, Suzi, Sam, Benjamin and I will feel that we are giving back to a charity that will help another family going through such desperate circumstances.

If you fancy joining me, please use this link for sponsorship.

Please share this page on Facebook, twitter or forward by email. The more that know and want to join in the better.

Thanks

Clare

Which one will you join me on?

Events I have entered so far and a list of those joining me:

25 December 2013 - ParkRun Newbury (The Daly family) DONE!

19 January 2014 - Windsor & Eton 10k Fun Run DONE!

9 February 2014 - Wokingham half marathon - CANCELLED DUE TO FLOODING :(

2 March - Reading half marathon (Clare Carter, Alison Hall, Sarah Wells, Ed King) DONE!

13 April - London marathon (GULP!!) - postponed until 2015 due to knee injury

27 April 2014 - Corsham 10k (Christine Hitchin, Helen Brockhurst, Caroline Whyte) DONE!

18 May 2014 - Park House 5k Fun Run and kids 2k Fun Run (Ed King, Thomas King, Caroline Whyte, Levi Whyte) DONE!

25 May 2014 - Bayer 10k Newbury and kids fun run (Beth King, Thomas King,  Caroline Whyte, Levi Whyte, Eran Whyte, Vicki Shopland and family, Alex Brown) DONE!

7 June 2014 - Ed and friends are doing the London Nightrider 100k bike ride (Ed King, Phil Mannings, Henry Price, Haydn Brockhurst, David Barker) DONE!

21 June 2014 - Newbury to Hungerford canal walk (Chris Hitchin, Sue Richards and family, the King family including Oscar, the Whyte family (including Bramble dog), Yvonne, Charlotte Avery, Sarah and Tom Harvey) DONE!

6 July 2014 - Race for Life Newbury (Beth King, Clare and Millie Carter, Holly and Issy Gimmingham, Caroline and Eran Whyte) DONE!

7 September 2014 - Newbury triathlon (Suzy Hamshaw, Alison Hall, Sarah Wells, Ed King, Mark Gimingham, Mike Eaton, Phil Hamshaw) DONE!

5 October 2014 - Bournemouth marathon (Jane Stewart, Alison Hall)

November - Grim Challenge Blackout Aldershot (Maxine Warner, Angela Mead)

25 December 2014 - ParkRun Newbury

 

 

 

 

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