Please help me run the London marathon for Shine!
Tim Richards is raising money for SHINE
Story
I’ve been saying it for years and have finally plucked up the courage to run the London marathon – on 22 April!
Soooo….now it’s time for me to pester you all and make a plea for sponsorship! All money goes to Shine, a really great charity that means a lot to my family and me.
For those that don’t know, my sister Sally-anne, was born with spina bifida & hydrocephalus.
SB is when a baby’s spine and spinal cord do not develop properly in the womb, causing a gap in the spine. H is a build up of excess fluid on the brain, which can potentially cause serious brain damage.
Sally-anne was my parents’ first child. Mum and Dad were 19 and 21 at the time and had no idea that their first baby would be born with such a serious condition (and certainly had never heard of SB&H).
After a complicated birth, Sally-anne was rushed from Shrewsbury hospital to Liverpool’s Alder Hey Children’s hospital, where she underwent major head surgery to implant a ‘shunt’ to drain excess fluid off her brain, and where she spent the majority of the first 2 years of her life.
Needless to say, it was a very scary time for our parents – who were very young and coming to terms with having a child with a disability at a time when there was very limited understanding and support for people suffering from conditions such as SB&H, and their families.
Mum, who was herself very ill after complications during childbirth wasn’t able to see her baby until over a month after she was born. And, during that time, she was overwhelmed with medical verbiage about Sally-anne’s condition/treatment and the uncertainty of her future.
Sally-anne turns 50 this year (which she’ll kill me for sharing!), and whilst she enjoys life, she regularly needs medical care to treat many of the problems associated with SB&H (spending a lot of time at Oswestry orthopaedic where she has received excellent care).
Her childhood and teenage years were marred by incontinence (a problem linked to spina bifida); that was until she underwent major surgery to form a stoma, allowing her to enjoy a more ‘normal’ life not dictated by the proximity of the toilet.
In total, we totted up that she’s had roughly 25 major surgeries and is currently on the waiting list for 2 further surgeries on her feet.
Shine wasn’t around to support my parents when Sally-anne was born, but they are there now to support other families…and have been very supportive to Sally-anne as she grew older.
Shine provides specialist support from before birth and throughout the life of anyone living with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus, as well as to parents, families, carers and professional care staff.
Shine enables people to get the very best out of life. Your sponsorship will help individuals and families suffering or impacted by SB and/or H.
Anything you can give is most appreciated!!
Thank you…and wish me luck!
Tim
Soooo….now it’s time for me to pester you all and make a plea for sponsorship! All money goes to Shine, a really great charity that means a lot to my family and me.
For those that don’t know, my sister Sally-anne, was born with spina bifida & hydrocephalus.
SB is when a baby’s spine and spinal cord do not develop properly in the womb, causing a gap in the spine. H is a build up of excess fluid on the brain, which can potentially cause serious brain damage.
Sally-anne was my parents’ first child. Mum and Dad were 19 and 21 at the time and had no idea that their first baby would be born with such a serious condition (and certainly had never heard of SB&H).
After a complicated birth, Sally-anne was rushed from Shrewsbury hospital to Liverpool’s Alder Hey Children’s hospital, where she underwent major head surgery to implant a ‘shunt’ to drain excess fluid off her brain, and where she spent the majority of the first 2 years of her life.
Needless to say, it was a very scary time for our parents – who were very young and coming to terms with having a child with a disability at a time when there was very limited understanding and support for people suffering from conditions such as SB&H, and their families.
Mum, who was herself very ill after complications during childbirth wasn’t able to see her baby until over a month after she was born. And, during that time, she was overwhelmed with medical verbiage about Sally-anne’s condition/treatment and the uncertainty of her future.
Sally-anne turns 50 this year (which she’ll kill me for sharing!), and whilst she enjoys life, she regularly needs medical care to treat many of the problems associated with SB&H (spending a lot of time at Oswestry orthopaedic where she has received excellent care).
Her childhood and teenage years were marred by incontinence (a problem linked to spina bifida); that was until she underwent major surgery to form a stoma, allowing her to enjoy a more ‘normal’ life not dictated by the proximity of the toilet.
In total, we totted up that she’s had roughly 25 major surgeries and is currently on the waiting list for 2 further surgeries on her feet.
Shine wasn’t around to support my parents when Sally-anne was born, but they are there now to support other families…and have been very supportive to Sally-anne as she grew older.
Shine provides specialist support from before birth and throughout the life of anyone living with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus, as well as to parents, families, carers and professional care staff.
Shine enables people to get the very best out of life. Your sponsorship will help individuals and families suffering or impacted by SB and/or H.
Anything you can give is most appreciated!!
Thank you…and wish me luck!
Tim