I've raised £500 to support the Play team at Great Ormond Street Hospital
Organised by Jo Hanley
Story
Update 7th May: WE DID IT!!!
💛 Super proud of these kids and our awesome friends for donning superhero costumes and running the MK Superhero Fun Run (a mile and a half for tiny legs!) in support of Great Ormond Street Hospital! 💛
A huge THANK YOU to everyone that has donated so far: target has been smashed! 👊🏼 Further updates will follow when the donations are taken into GOSH soon! 💛
MAX'S STORY:
In the Summer of 2018, four year old Max was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer, malignant rhabdomyosarcoma. Alongside fighting this horrible disease, Max missed starting school with his friends. Instead, he spent months visiting Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), where he received amazing care.
Thankfully, in February 2019, Max received the all clear!! Here he is after ringing his end-of-treatment bell, with the encouragement of the wonderful surgeons, nurses and play workers who supported him and his family through their battle.
Max's parents, Kim and Jay, want to give something back following the wonderful support they received from GOSH. Specifically, they want to help enhance the amazing work that the play team do. Kim says;
Play workers are the unsung heroes of the oncology care team. They work long hours, which can be emotionally charged and challenging but always, always bring light and fun to the wards. They make every single child and parent feel like they are the only ones there and get to know us closely. It is no exaggeration to say that our wonderful play workers Jenny, Lauren and Alanna made our experience of childhood cancer a more positive one, sharing in the highs and lows. They help the whole family, not just the child going through gruelling treatment. Allowing us to get a cup of tea or a sandwich when only one of us was staying with Max and he couldn't be left alone with infusions - it doesn't sound like a lot but that breather was so necessary and impossible without support. Max ran with open arms to Jenny whenever she was around and looked for her as soon as he was on the ward. Unbelievably, he genuinely looked forward to going into GOSH or waking up on the ward day after day for his chemotherapy and other scans and tests because of the play workers. Jenny helped him through his treatment as much as we did as his parents; holding his hand, calming him down and talking through play therapy; providing a tablet to play on whilst he was being infused or having bloods taken. Making a scary process to a child less so. At the start of his treatment Max would scream hysterically and within a short time Jenny had transformed this.
On 6th May 2019, Max and his family will be running the Milton Keynes Superhero Fun Run. Max's schoolfriends, Connor, Charlie and Scarlett-Rose will also be running, along with their families. Together, team #SuperheroesForMax want to raise as many funds as possible to provide the Play Team at GOSH with much-needed items. This could be anything from pens, paints and craft items, to games consoles and iPads. The more we raise the more we can help.
Please help us with our goal if you can. It will make such a difference to the children and families at GOSH.
