My ridiculous father, Jamie, turns 70 in March and has decided to run the Edinburgh half marathon again. Obviously this is absurd and we can all tease him for showing off but as he is going to all this effort, he is very kindly raising money in Rory's name.  It is now 3 years since Rory finished his treatment and he is thriving.  All clear so far on the scans and family life has thankfully returned to normal.

When Dad ran the 2015 Edinburgh half marathon (1hr 41 minutes in case he didn't mention it), he raised funds for Wilms tumour research. This time, he is raising money for the Whittington Hospital - specifically to support their campaign to transform the play area for the Children's ward.

Whilst Rory had his operations and chemotherapy at GOSH and his radiotherapy at UCLH, he spent most of his in patient time at his local Whittington Hospital.  Countless nights managing high temperatures, blood transfusions and all the joys that an immune suppressed child faces.  We were so enormously grateful for the skill and kindness of the doctors, nurses, play specialists and all the team on the Ifor (children's) ward at the Whittington of whom we became very fond.  

For those who don't know the Ifor ward, the building wraps around a bit of outside space which has a couple of slides on it and a rather miserable looking tarmac.  We often thought how nice that area could be for children like Rory who spend so many bored hours on the ward (as well as their siblings who often have to hang around too).  I'm thrilled that the team now have plans in place and have already raised £45,000 towards the £256,000 target.  I understand they have also secured a number of grants to support this project.

So should you feel inclined to support my Dad and/or send him a 70th birthday present, it would mean a lot to the Heaths and the Stevensons to be able to raise some money for this play area to say thank you to the Whittington and to create a wonderful play area for the poor children who have to spend too much time in hospital.

Thank you!

Laura

ps - here are the details from the Whittington about their campaign (and there is more with photos on the link to the right):

In a single year, over 2,000 children are cared for in the Whittington Hospital Ifor Childrens Ward, all of whom are admitted in emergency situations. This includes children receiving treatment for illnesses such as cancer and strokes. One of the most popular areas of the ward is the Childrens Play Terrace, a secure outdoors space where children can enjoy time with their families, friends and professional play specialists. After many years of use and appreciation, the Childrens Play Terrace has become dated. In addition to installing new play equipment and fittings, the refurbishment plans intend to double the size of the Play Terrace, incorporating a space which is currently unused. The New Play Terrace will be built to complement a child's treatment and recovery, whilst also offering a safe space to unwind.