THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THE KIND DONATIONS AND CD SALES FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC!!!THESE ARE BEING ADDED TO THIS PAGE BY GEMMA JOHNSON. THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING US RAISE AWARENESS FOR LIFEBLOOD - THROMBOSIS CHARITY! X X X
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Thankyou so much for visiting our fundraising page. Here is our story...
(Recently written in the East Coastal Target Newspaper UK by Sarah Payne. Photograph by Steve Gould)
THE family of a Skegness woman who made a miraculous recovery from a life threatening illness are now are trying to raise awareness of the rare condition.
Charmaine Johnson had just turned 40 when she was admitted to hospital with severe head pains. After tests she was diagnosed with Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis – she had three blood clots on her brain.
Hospital staff fought to save her life and Charmaine made a full recovery but it proved a difficult time for both her husband Alan and daughter Gemma.
Both found solace in the power of music and as duo Gemma Class Act the pair are working to raise money for the Lifeblood Thrombosis Charity and improve awareness of the illness.
Charmaine's difficult recovery prompted Alan to go to his keyboard and write a tune. It was only as her condition started to improve he decided he wanted to turn it into a positive song and together they came up with a wedding song 'Our Special Day (From Me to You)' which later made the semi finals of the UK Songwriting Contest in London out of over 5,000 entries.
The Duo now perform at venues throughout the country and Gemma's voice has been likened to that of Karen Carpenter.
Gemma explained: "Mum being taken ill was a real shock to us and we feel she has been given a second chance as this condition often proves fatal.
"My dad had never written any music before and it has inspired him to continue to write, he gets his ideas from life experiences and we perform them from the heart. We want to be able to promote National Thrombosis week which is May 11-15 2009 and hope to raise funds and awareness of the condition."
Our Special Day has been made into a single and the full £3 cost of the CD is donated to Lifeblood.
Visit www.justgiving.com/ourspecialday for more information or to purchase a Gemma Class Act single visit www.gemmaclassact.co.uk
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Please help us raise as much money as we possibly can by donating to this page no matter how small your donation. You could save someones' life!
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The cause of Charmaine's illness remains unknown despite a common misconception. It can affect any age group and isn't just related to long haul flights.
The symptoms Charmaine suffered included: Severe Head Pains, Blackouts, Unsteadiness and Leg Cramps. For more information on the condition visit http://www.thrombosis-charity.org.uk
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A special thankyou goes to Lifeblood - Thrombosis Charity for giving my family and myself the support we needed to get through such a difficult time. You will always be a Charity close to our hearts.
Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Lifeblood: The Thrombosis Charity gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.
So please sponsor us now!
