Annie Abbatt
Annie Abbatt is fundraising for Rachel's Rainbow Dashers at CCLG
Fundraising for CCLG
Story
I'll be walking ONE MILLION STEPS BY MAY - that's over 16,000 steps a day, every day, for 2 months... EEK!
Rachel and Phoebe have been best friends since they were 3. It was devastating when Rachel was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia (PH+ ALL) on Easter Sunday, 2019. Our families are very close and we've seen and heard what dear Rachel has been through throughout her (still ongoing) treatment. It has been horrific.
When diagnosed, Rachel’s blood showed 90% leukaemia cells. Her parents - Hannah and Dave - were told without treatment she would have just a few weeks left to live. Rachel has suffered so many horrendous, life-threatening side effects of her treatment and an impossible amount of procedures. Her 'beads of courage' string (where she gets a bead for each procedure) is very, very long.
She missed the end of her year at preschool and her entire Reception year at school. She is the most fun-loving, caring and positive child, she never complains or questions, and faces everything with a smile and such incredible bravery. She even at times has comforted her mum when she's been upset, telling her it will be ok.
Rachel has battled through and made it to the 'maintenance' stage of her treatment now, but the risks of relapse and lifelong side effects are both very real.
Only 2% of money raised for cancer research goes into childhood cancer and it can leave survivors with chronic side effects for life.
Her mum Hannah says:
"It is a miracle Rachel's little body has been able to survive this brutal treatment. We have all been utterly shocked at the toxicity of treatment for all children suffering from cancer and at the chronic lack of funding for childhood cancer.
There are only a few types of chemotherapy drug that have been specifically developed for childhood cancer and many of those used regularly were first used over 40 years ago. During our journey, our family have also met families of children suffering with cancer for which there is no cure.
This all has to change and is why we have set up Rachel’s Rainbow Dashers. The money we raise through Rachel’s fund will go towards research into better, kinder treatments for childhood cancer and to help find cures for all types of children’s cancer. We hope that in the future children will not have to suffer as Rachel has."
Please give whatever you can. THANK YOU SO MUCH xxxxx
