Ross' Run to the Beat 2013 page
Ross C is raising money for Demelza Hospice Care for Children
Story
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
On Sunday 8 September, I'll be having my second crack at a half marathon by running Run to the Beat on a course that will take me in and around Greenwich, Blackheath and Woolwich. After notching up a time of 1 hour 57 mins first time out, my hopes are higher this time and after racking up over 200 miles in training and *touch wood* so far avoiding the niggles that I was troubled by last time, with a bit of luck I should be knocking as much as 10 minutes or so off that. I should get around inside 1 hour 50 mins, with 1 hour 45 mins an ambitious (but potentially makeable) target.
Across South London, Kent, East Sussex and East Surrey, Demelza Hospice Care for Children offer support to around 800 children and young people under the age of 20 who are not expected to reach adulthood. They have childrens' hospices based in Sittingbourne and Eltham and their community team provides hospice at home services from their base in Lewes.
Demelza provides support for children/young people suffering from a wide variety of illnesses, including muscular dystrophy, the mucopolysaccaridoses, cystic fibrosis and other genetically determined disorders, congenital abnormalities of various systems such as the heart, kidneys, liver and central nervous system, as well as acquired diseases such as cancer, chronic renal failure or heart disease.
Demelza's remit goes far beyond the provision of medical care and it includes running social activities (including groups aimed at bringing children together to socialise), hosting families for "short breaks" and providing emotional support throughout not just the lifetimes of its patients, but also through all stages of bereavement. Demelza's focus is on providing families with a community setting where they can spend time together as a family in order to make the most of what opportunities its patients have.
When I read through their website, it was this sentence that stuck in my head more than any: "We believe that palliative care is not solely about dying but is more concerned with quality of life irrespective of how long or short that life will be."
Anything that your donations can do to add to that quality of life will be gratefully received by Demelza.
£1 could pay for a child's oxygen mask / £20 could pay for a music or art therapy session for a child / £150 could pay for 3 hours of nursing home-care for a child.
Thank you!