Story
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline; color: #000000;"><strong>On 10th June 2012 I am running 10km for the charity 'Friends of O.S.C.A.R'.</strong></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Roughly 16 years ago at the age of 1 and a half years old, my sister (Joanna) was diagnosed with a Tumor in her Spine. After months in hospital and many operations and tests, we were told to expect the worst. </span></strong></p>
<p>16 years on and she's as healthy (and annoying) as any younger sister should be but not without the scars to prove her battle against the Tumor. This was due to the amazing staff at the hospitals across Oxford that cared for her whilst she was at her worst but also massively due to Friends of O.S.C.A.R.</p>
<p>Friends of O.S.C.A.R is a charity that 'Offers Support to Children And Relatives' of children with brain or spinal tumors and their families. This charity helped our family out massively throughout the years that followed my sisters operations and while she started her recovery process.</p>
<p>O.S.C.A.R gives families in similar situations the chance to meet each other as well as offers the children many events each year to meet and make friends with people in the same situation as themselves.</p>
<p>This charity organsies many events each year with an annual pantomime and family fun day being just a few of these. A recent trip to RAF Brize Norton for a flight in a re-fueling jet and a meeting with His Royal Highness Prince William was also arranged by O.S.C.A.R.</p>
<p>On a personal scale, i have witnessed the difference this charity makes to both the families of recovering children and the families of children where the tumor was just too strong.</p>
<p>During the years of Joanna's recovery and on joining O.S.C.A.R, we met a family with a young girl the same age as Joanna whom was just as lively and ambitious as Joanna. Sadly the girl passed away recently at the age of 15 after suffering further from the spinal tumor that aggrieved her as a child. </p>
<p>Thanks to Friends of O.S.C.A.R however, this girl lived a happy and memorable childhood with many different events each and every year for her to partake in and be around people that also had tumors but most of all, O.S.C.A.R offered her family the chance to relax and feel a sense of belonging and security and make new friends for life. </p>
<p>All in all, none of these events and experiences would have been possible for the chairty to offer Joanna as well as many many children and families without your donations and fundraising.</p>
<p>So please, if you give any money to charity this year, please dig deep and donate to Friends of O.S.C.A.R now and make a difference to the children living amoungst us. </p>
<p>For more information on the charity please visit <a href="http://www.friendsofoscar.org.uk/">http://www.friendsofoscar.org.uk/</a></p>
<p>Thank You, </p>
<p>Marc Oakley</p>