Shedding Pounds to Raise Pounds

To help locals shape up for summer Mums Hannah and Vicky have organised a sponsored slim at Greenstead Community Centre. The friends, from Colchester, will be getting out the scales for the eight-week course and are encouraging those wanting to shed a few pounds – and raise money for a good cause – to join in.

Hannah and Vicky decided to host the weekly weight loss challenge to show their support for CLIC Sargent, a cause close to their hearts. Hannah’s daughter Arwen was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2008 just three years old.

Arwen first fell ill in June 2008 when she starting vomiting in the early hours of the morning and when she hadn’t stopped by the following lunchtime Hannah took her to the local doctors. As she was vomiting blood they were sent immediately to the hospital's children’s ward for further investigation.

Neurological investigations showed Arwen's left pupil had dilated and was fixed and unresponsive to light. She had a CT scan as pressure was building up in her head which showed a mass sitting behind the left eye. The family were told Arwen had a brain tumour. She was then transferred to a children's hospital in London and had emergency surgery to remove the tumour. She stayed in intensive care for three days then a neuro ward for a further six days.

Arwen had to endure 30 sessions of radiotherapy and joint chemotherapy from July until September. She then had a couple of months off treatment and started back on the chemotherapy in November which she will continue until October 2009.

“To us she has been a real little fighter and hardly ever complained and we are so proud of her for being so strong and getting through so much when she is only four years old,” says Hannah.

“Arwen is a bright happy child who always puts others first. Even when having radiotherapy she was most concerned how her little brother was doing as she’d never really been apart from him for long before. Now a year on she is at school full time and loves girlie pink things and singing and dancing,” she adds.

The sponsored slim will raise money for CLIC Sargent which helps children and young people with cancer and their families with the trauma of diagnosis, the often long journey through treatment and continues to support them afterwards.

To sponsor Hannah or Vicky or for more information visit www.justgiving.com/poundforpounds or telephone 07793 141577.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

• For any media enquiries please contact Ruth Bowen in the CLIC Sargent press office on 0117 314 8617 or email: ruth.bowen@clicsargent.org.uk