You're one candle who's light will never be extinguished in our hearts. You are loved and missed Georgia - always x Sleep tight princess x #GoneTooSoon #RememberingGeorgia #sleeptight #RIP #justiceforgeorgia #purplecandle #wemissyou https://www.instagram.com/p/BvG0oTCnNcf/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=he2n8u8pv7ty
Charity? What do you think of when you think of charity?
Volunteers shaking buckets at the station?
Sponsorship forms for the latest “-athon” that the school is adopting?
Perhaps you think of Children in Need or Comic Relief?
But I was always a watcher. It was always for someone else – not me?
How could it be? I’m not sick. I am not poor. I am not lonely or depressed.
Sure I have challenges - who doesn’t? But I was always taught to be strong and self reliant.
I didn’t need charity.
Then boom - with one word my world changed.
And all those preconceptions fly out of the window.
Suddenly I am that person. My child is in need. The pictures of a smiling child with a bald head don’t belong to someone else. They are my photos. That is my baby girl.
Suddenly the list of charities that you become reliant on, sometimes without even knowing, multiplies until you can’t even think which one means more.
Suddenly you are assigned a social worker. A social worker? Isn’t that for someone with real problems? Like domestic violence or abuse; poverty; addiction… not me, not us.
Yet, there I am sitting in a room; staring at a benefits form – wondering how did I get here?
But here is where I am and, when I consider the role that charity has played in just 1 year of my life, and continues to play – how could I just sit on the side lines and watch?
Added to this is the realisation that our charities this year are cancer ones.
It really is a no-brainer.
I owe charity my life, for although, my Georgia’s life was tragically cut short;
Without charity, I may not have survived.
I hope that I can bring my passion to the committee and my insight in this particular topic, helping to build awareness and raise vital funds towards to help others.
Here is a list of the charities that touched us, and to whom we owe the world:
A Child of Mind Bereavement support
Anthony Nolan Stem cell donation
Bandana For the Brave Head-wear for Georgia
Be Child Cancer Aware Awareness and support to End of Treatment Bells & Beads of Courage
Beads of Courage Programme for children with chronic illness
Bloodwise Blood cancer charity providing vital information & ground-breaking research
Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens Trial drug and research support
Childhood Cancer & Leukaemia Group Information for patient, siblings, friends & school
Children with Cancer Hospice support and research
CLIC Sargent Social welfare; Financial aid; Play specialists; Bereavement support
Cyclists Fighting Cancer Cycles for cancer patients
Delete Blood Cancer UK Stem cell donation
Emily Ash Trust Pamper Evening; Build A Bear Party; Bereavement Support
End of treatment bells Funding to support the programme in UK
Jigsaw4U Bereavement support
Leukaemia Care Blood cancer charity providing vital information on the disease and treatment
Little Princess Trust Provide real hair wigs
Macmillan Cancer Support Information on every treatment and drug
Make a Wish Granting wishes to seriously ill children
Merton Community Transport Ambulance transport
Momentum Parental and patient support; character visits; bereavement support
Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes Emergency transport for blood provision
Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity Emotional and practical support for parents, patients & siblings
Rays of Sunshine Granting wishes to seriously ill children
Samuel’s Children Charity Accuveins – handheld scanners that show where the veins are so injections are done first time and with little pain. Free WiFi & entertainment equipment including TV and DVD’s at St. George’s Hospital, craft and sensory equipment; Electric ride-in cars – Estelle LOVED to drive them on the ward when Georgia was inpatient; Sofa beds at St. George’s so we could sleep in her room
Shooting Stars Chase Hospice care and bereavement support
St. George’s Hospital Medical care, support services, bereavement support, PICU (they saved her life 3 times)
St. John’s Ambulance Medical ambulance transport
Starlight Foundation Hospital entertainment; granting wishes
The Royal Mardsen Hospital Medical care, support services, bereavement support, & our “home” for most of 2015
Theodora Children’s Charity Bring music, magic, fun and laughter to the hospital through visits from Giggle Doctors.
And this month is September. So this post just a little warning. See September is an important month for me. It marks the beginning of International Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. And as such I will be posting lots of status updates. Lots. So many in fact that I have created this blog.
They will not be pictures of holiday snaps.
They will not be photos of my culinary delights.
They will not me sharing funny stories or jokes.
They will be shocking
They will be distressing
They may make you sad
They may make you angry
They may even make you cry
But I make no apologies whatsoever for this.
You see in September 2014 I was just another mother. We were just another family. Working hard. Preparing for the return to school. Moaning about train delays and laughing at the latest ice bucket challenge. Fast forward 3 years and our lives are forever changed.
Changed through our experience.
Changed through our loss.
My life will never be the same again.
Cancer robbed me of my child and stole Estelle of her sister
And the saddest thing is it could be you; your child, your niece or nephew, your cousin, your sibling or your friend. My posts are there to build awareness and increase knowledge. My posts are there to educate and inform. To hopefully save lives. And we could just save one child…so no apologies.
So please, read my posts this month
Share them
Act on them
Don’t our our kids deserve just that?
I know it’s what I want and it’s certainly what Georgia dreamt of.
