Run March for Isabelle
Donation protected
Ever since Isabelle was diagnosed with Leukaemia, Matt Kehler and I have planned to arrange a fundraiser. We had planned to do this at the club and base it around football but Covid has delayed our plans! As we have another month until we will be back at football and even longer until we are able to mix as a large group, we have decided to set up a challenge for our players, parents, siblings, family, friends and other club members to participate in. We plan to each run/walk/cycle/row a minimum of 31 miles in March...the more the better so we can reach a total of 1000 miles combined!
The aim of this challenge is to raise much needed funds for the various charities that have helped/will help Isabelle through her treatment. Isabelle has shown an immense amount of courage over the last 7 months and is a huge inspiration to us all. Jon and Emily have provided some information about Isabelle’s diagnosis and the charities, that I have shared below.
We would like as many people to participate as possible and I have set up a challenge on the MapMyRun app so we can share our progress with each other. If you would like to participate, please download the MapMyRun app, register and add me (Search markskipp @ hotmail .com) as a friend, I will then add you to the challenge.
Please help raise as much money as possible for these fantastic charities, whether you are joining the challenge or donating, your support is appreciated!
Thanks
Mark and Matt
“Isabelle was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in July last year. It was a huge shock to everyone but also explained the aches and pains she had and her loss of colour and appetite. She was admitted to GOSH where treatment started within a couple of days of the original diagnosis and spent 3 tough weeks there. One of Isabelle’s symptoms was a pain in her left leg which she was unable to walk on. This turned out to be an infection in the muscle of her leg and whilst at GOSH she was having daily physiotherapy to pretty much teach her how to walk properly on it again. Even now she is still doing daily exercises to get normal movement back in her legs. She has completed 7 months of intensive chemotherapy treatment and is now moving into the final stage of treatment, maintenance, which she will be in until October 2022. Although she’s still having regular chemotherapy, at this point we’ve been advised life can almost return to normal with regards to going to school and attending clubs. Isabelle is desperate to see her team at Hashtag FG and get back into football as soon as we’re all allowed.
Due to Covid we haven’t been able to utilise the large number of charities that usually help children in this position through various ways but the ones that have put a smile on her face so far are Beads of Courage and Supershoes.
Beads of Courage have come up with a way to help children have a tangible object to quantify all the various experiences a child with a serious illness will go through. There are various procedures, events and treatment that can be represented by a single colour bead which represent their whole journey. To date Isabelle has earnt 453 beads, some represent hospital stays, scans, chemo, needles, blood transfusions and many more.
Supershoes were a huge hit with Isabelle. They have over 300 artists ready and waiting to paint a pair of converse with any design a child requests. Isabelle’s was a sunset theme with dogs, guinea pigs and football on one shoe and a galaxy theme with her name on the other. She absolutely loves wearing these and were a great present as she finally got them 2 days before Christmas.
We’re sure that as restrictions ease there will be many more charities supporting Isabelle as well as ourselves that we would want to put the funds towards. Even other charities that we’ve spoke to have said how frustrating it is that Covid is stopping them doing what they would usually be doing to a family in our position but we still have a long road ahead so hoping we will come across many more amazing charities over the next year or 2.”
The aim of this challenge is to raise much needed funds for the various charities that have helped/will help Isabelle through her treatment. Isabelle has shown an immense amount of courage over the last 7 months and is a huge inspiration to us all. Jon and Emily have provided some information about Isabelle’s diagnosis and the charities, that I have shared below.
We would like as many people to participate as possible and I have set up a challenge on the MapMyRun app so we can share our progress with each other. If you would like to participate, please download the MapMyRun app, register and add me (Search markskipp @ hotmail .com) as a friend, I will then add you to the challenge.
Please help raise as much money as possible for these fantastic charities, whether you are joining the challenge or donating, your support is appreciated!
Thanks
Mark and Matt
“Isabelle was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in July last year. It was a huge shock to everyone but also explained the aches and pains she had and her loss of colour and appetite. She was admitted to GOSH where treatment started within a couple of days of the original diagnosis and spent 3 tough weeks there. One of Isabelle’s symptoms was a pain in her left leg which she was unable to walk on. This turned out to be an infection in the muscle of her leg and whilst at GOSH she was having daily physiotherapy to pretty much teach her how to walk properly on it again. Even now she is still doing daily exercises to get normal movement back in her legs. She has completed 7 months of intensive chemotherapy treatment and is now moving into the final stage of treatment, maintenance, which she will be in until October 2022. Although she’s still having regular chemotherapy, at this point we’ve been advised life can almost return to normal with regards to going to school and attending clubs. Isabelle is desperate to see her team at Hashtag FG and get back into football as soon as we’re all allowed.
Due to Covid we haven’t been able to utilise the large number of charities that usually help children in this position through various ways but the ones that have put a smile on her face so far are Beads of Courage and Supershoes.
Beads of Courage have come up with a way to help children have a tangible object to quantify all the various experiences a child with a serious illness will go through. There are various procedures, events and treatment that can be represented by a single colour bead which represent their whole journey. To date Isabelle has earnt 453 beads, some represent hospital stays, scans, chemo, needles, blood transfusions and many more.
Supershoes were a huge hit with Isabelle. They have over 300 artists ready and waiting to paint a pair of converse with any design a child requests. Isabelle’s was a sunset theme with dogs, guinea pigs and football on one shoe and a galaxy theme with her name on the other. She absolutely loves wearing these and were a great present as she finally got them 2 days before Christmas.
We’re sure that as restrictions ease there will be many more charities supporting Isabelle as well as ourselves that we would want to put the funds towards. Even other charities that we’ve spoke to have said how frustrating it is that Covid is stopping them doing what they would usually be doing to a family in our position but we still have a long road ahead so hoping we will come across many more amazing charities over the next year or 2.”
Organizer and beneficiary
Mark Skipp
Organizer
Emily Flewers
Beneficiary