Story
I was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of three and underwent an intensive course of chemotherapy for two years until finally receiving the all clear in 2001. I was treated at St James hospital in Leeds and so spent many long periods of time on the hospital ward, often an emotionally shattering experience for both patients and parents alike.
However throughout my stay my family and myself were lucky enough to be looked after and supported by the Yorkshire based Candlelighters charity. Candlelighters aim is to find a cure for childhood cancer. The research funded by Candlelighters at St. James contributes to the national and international understanding of how cancer develops and behaves thus the more research is done, the faster the cures and possibly the causes, will be found.
In the meantime Candlelighters aims to raise funds to improve the facilities for children and parents being treated at the unit in Leeds. Purchasing the latest medical equipment for the ward, outpatients clinic and bone marrow transplant unit; books toys and games to make the children's time in hospital more pleasant, to set up support groups for parents, siblings and teenagers and to provide breaks from the trauma and stress of hospital routine.
There is no doubt that both myself and my family benefited immensely from the support provided by the Candlelighters charity helping to ease the stress of such an uncertain time. Thus I am hoping to give something back to the charity through fundraising for the Great North Run in the hope that others, in a similar situation to I was will receive the same amount of care and support as I did during my stay at St. James.
Thank you for your support,
Yours Sincerely,
Rory Smith
However throughout my stay my family and myself were lucky enough to be looked after and supported by the Yorkshire based Candlelighters charity. Candlelighters aim is to find a cure for childhood cancer. The research funded by Candlelighters at St. James contributes to the national and international understanding of how cancer develops and behaves thus the more research is done, the faster the cures and possibly the causes, will be found.
In the meantime Candlelighters aims to raise funds to improve the facilities for children and parents being treated at the unit in Leeds. Purchasing the latest medical equipment for the ward, outpatients clinic and bone marrow transplant unit; books toys and games to make the children's time in hospital more pleasant, to set up support groups for parents, siblings and teenagers and to provide breaks from the trauma and stress of hospital routine.
There is no doubt that both myself and my family benefited immensely from the support provided by the Candlelighters charity helping to ease the stress of such an uncertain time. Thus I am hoping to give something back to the charity through fundraising for the Great North Run in the hope that others, in a similar situation to I was will receive the same amount of care and support as I did during my stay at St. James.
Thank you for your support,
Yours Sincerely,
Rory Smith