Fund raising chit chat and some deeper stuff.
1
We've just sent off another cheque for £1,000 to CCLG!!
I heard an upsetting report last week that although childhood cancer survival rates are on the increase year after year the survival rates for childhood brain tumours isn't improving at all simply because there isn't enough money going into research!! That's outragious when you consider that brain tumours are the second most common childhood cancer!!
The money was raised from having stalls at the local carnivals and tombola stalls in local supermarkets.
If you'd like to donate please go to the 'Support us' page and see the various ways in which you can help.
Thanks Sarah x
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We had stalls at two local carnivals, Burbage Carnival last Sunday and Hinckley Carnival the week before. In total we raised around £330!!
The weather was really warm for Hinckley carnival and it was changable at Burbage but there seemed to be plenty of people around.
I think what hinders us at Carnivals is the very overpriced fairs that attend. By the time people get to our stall they've got no money left!
Sarah x
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In the local paper. A follow up to the tea party and we sent a cheque for £1,000 to Edward's Trust.
Sarah
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It would have been Christopher's 10th birthday, I can hardly believe it. He would no longer be our little 4 year old son who loved Thomas the Tank and Bob the Builder. I wonder what he would have wanted for his birthday.
I was still awake at 12.15am which is when he was born and I thought back to the first time I held him in my arms.
I went to the cemetary and took some flowers and lit a candle in the little lantern there. It was sad to see his name on the stone.
The tea party went really well! There is a copy below of the newspaper article that was in the local paper yesterday. It's such a fab article we are really pleased with it.
We raised around £200 in just two hours We already have over £1,000 to send off to Edward's Trust. The money just keeps coming in!
It was really manic at the school. My Mum helped and my sister and Andy and boy did we need them!!
I had some gorgeous balloons printed with the Christopher's Fund logo and McDonalds donated some of the stick things that you put them on and my sister and Andy spent the whole two hours blowing up balloons and putting them on sticks!
All the children went away with a balloon as a momento which was really nice.
Morrisons gave us £45 worth of stuff for the party yesterday and I've just taken £20 back which was really good. They wanted to make sure we had enough and were happy for us to bring back the stuff that we didn't use and I was happy to do that.
They only usually let people have £5 to spend but the GM there has also lost a son so it's something close to his heart.
Sarah x
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I've decided to start my own blog. I will still blog on here about fundraising stuff, events and Christopher but for my own personal use I decided to create a separate blog.
Sarah x
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It was 7 years yesterday since Christopher was diagnosed. I'll never forget the consultant coming up to see us after he'd had his scan. I was there with my Mum and Christopher was still fast asleep from the sedation. She wouldn't tell us what was wrong until Andy got there but we knew it was bad.
I used my mobile phone to call Andy to tell him to come to the hospital. I couldn't remember how to turn it on and forgot to put in the password, I was in a real state and it was so awful having to phone him and wait for him to arrive. I felt so sorry that he had to drive all the way from work with his mind racing. I remember waiting for him at the front of the hospital and I was in a state of shock and just very quietly crying to myself.
We were so shocked when we were told the extend of what was wrong and how huge the tumour was that they'd found in his brain. She said that it was almost definately malignant and that he'd be taken by ambulance to Birmingham Children's Hospital that afternoon for emergency surgery.
I couldn't believe that my 2 year old baby had to undergo major brain surgery - we were a mess.
You can read the full details of what happened in 'Christopher's story'.
The next day (today) 30th March we waited all day for the surgery, we kept being told he was next and to get ready only to be told that there was another emergency and he had to wait. You could see him getting sicker and sicker.
They took the unusual step of operation on a Saturday (the next day) because they just couldn't get the theatre space that day.
He was in theatre for over 8 hours. I remember being so worried that when he came round he wouldn't be the same little boy, that he wouldn't recognise us or that there'd be some brain damage or that he'd be blind or deaf. As it was he was perfect, beautiful and brave.
Dates are tattoo'd on my mind. I can hardly believe it was all 7 years ago - it doesn't seem possible.
Sarah x
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On Monday we all went to Nottingham to my sisters new house. She bought the house with her partner Lyn a few months ago and we've never got around to visiting due to the distance.
Well off we all went on Monday and had a fantastic day. We were looked after really well even though my sister Jane was full of cold. She also treated us all to a carvery for lunch!
They have a lovely home, really classy and neat and tidy. I'm not sure Lyn's old cat (Maddie 17) appreciated our visit but she tolerated us.
Isobel was busy telling her Grandad that she'd been to visit Aunty Jane in London! Well we did laugh but hey, she knew what she meant!
I hope we can visit again soon as we don't see them often enough and we all get on so well!
Sarah x
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We've made a new friend. His name is Chris and he works in the cafe at Morrisons.
I've known him for a couple of years but never really got to know him very well until I started work at Morrisons.
Last week he offered to come round and give Matthew some guitar tuition and he's been a few times since.
Matthew has learned loads and Chris is an awesome guitar player.
A couple of times he's stayed for tea as it was tea time so I made extra so that there'd be enough for him too.
They also went to the club on Saturday and played on stage together with Katherine singing - it was really good. It's on You Tube if you want to see.
Anyway last night Andy took Chris home and after an hour came back! He'd been sat chatting in the car. I was chatting to Chris on MSN later that night and he said that he'd never met a family that had made him feel as welcome as we had from the minute he set foot in the door. He thinks we are all amazing and really lovely.
I'm so touched by what he said. I think we're a lovely family but when others say it too, and they often do, then we must really be!
It's amazing what good friends we've all become. Chris has a great sense of humour, as do we all so he fits in really well!
He seems to like my cooking too so it's all good!
Sarah x
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We went to see Katherine in the school production of Fame on Friday and it was really good!
Katherine was in the lead chorus and her dancing was brilliant. I was so proud of her, although a little concerned at the lack of costume!!? A bit too revealing for my liking ;o)
There were a couple of issues with the sound and when one of the main characters sang his solo you couldn't hear him at all which was a real shame.
There was a break dancer in it too and he was awesome - Matthew really liked that part.
The kids worked soooo hard to get it together and then performed it over 4 nights.
It was a good night out and well worth seeing.
Well done to all concerned!
Sarah x
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Hi Everyone,
As many of you know one of the main benefactors of our fundraising is Edward's Trust.
I'm posting you a link to their website as they are trying to organise a 'tea party.
My family and I benefitted greatly from all that Edward House had to offer, including tea and cake every afternoon.
If you think you could hold something during the 'tea party week' please do! There are a list of suggestions of different ways to help raise the money.
Please check out the link on the website. They've only got two people signed up so far so please give it some thought.
If you only raise a tenner it's much needed funds to keep all their good work going.
Thanks Sarah x
http://www.edwardstrust.org.uk/news/tea_party.htm
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Isobel was sat in the car today and she said how she wished Christopher would come back so that she could play trains with him and hug him, she said she would let him play on her bike - totally unprompted too - I'd just picked her up from playgroup.
Then later on she appeared downstairs with my 2001/02 diary - the only one I've ever kept as its an important one.
I decided to check the date as I knew it was around now that we discovered even more bad news. I've copied and pasted some text 'Christopher's Story' to save me writing it all out again.
We have so many happy memories but some really painful ones too.
"Christopher finally finished his radiotherapy in February and we went home, we thought, for good. Over the next couple of weeks Christopher developed pains in his legs, we were told it was the effect of the chemotherapy but the pain was getting worse and he spent most nights rolling around his bed in pain.
We'd booked a family holiday to Centre parcs with some money that had been raised for us and we were so looking forward to it as we'd never been before.
A couple of days before we were due to go the hospital decided to give Christopher a scan to see what was going on. It was then we were given the devastating news that the tumour was back and it had spread down his spine. There was no hope for him now other than to make him as comfortable as possible.
We went away to centre parcs and it took most of the week for the morphine he'd been given to get his pain under control. I'll never forget the first night that he slept through without waking in pain, it was wonderful."
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I have to brag a little. My husband arrived home with a bunch of flowers for me for Valentines day and then asked me to pick up a chinese on my way home from work!
I was convinced that one of the children had text him and 'tipped him off' but they all insisted that they hadn't and he said it had been on the radio all day!
We don't normally 'do' valentines as we don't think it should be left to one day a year when we tell each other that we love each other but this year we both had the same idea as I bought him a little card and a large bar of Bournville choc (his fave).
Awwwww had to share.
Sarah x
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Great news! A lovely lady called Janet Wilkinson who runs www.barefootforcharity.co.uk has contacted us to offer to help us raise funds.
There is a link on the website and you can use the link here on this blog and everytime you purchase from www.barefootforcharity.co.uk our fund will receive 10% of the value of the sale!!
Please use code EV09 as you go through checkout so that we can benefit. Please tell all your friends too. You must use the code though else Janet won't be able to link it back to the fund website and so we'll lose out.
Thanks Janet and thanks everyone!
Sarah x
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I Had a phone call from the school this morning to say that they've been thinking about this for a while but they think Matthew isn't reaching his full potential so they've decided to move him up to band A for all his subjects!
It's very rare that they do this but they think he is capable of far more than he's achieving and by moving him up to the top sets he'll do far better.
The lady was sooo lovely on the phone and I'm soooo proud of him
I've bought him a little card to say 'well done'.
I bought Isobel a couple of bits of school uniform today :o(
I can't believe that she's going to start school in a few months! I thought I better get it early as I know from experience that if you leave it too late you can't get the sizes.
Awwww my baby girl starting school - she's not 4 until April!
I've also bbeen asked to work on Wednesday as they need a shift covering. My mother in law will have Isobel for me and then my Dad will collect her and take her to pre-school.
It's all money in the bank!
Sarah x
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£1,000.00!!
The money has been steadily coming in and we've sent off a cheque from Christopher's Fund to CCLG towards research into childhood brain tumours.
Sarah x
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None of this will probably make sense but I've been feeling this for a while now.
Isobel is out in the garden peddling her little bike up and down and she's doing really well and is sooo pleased with herself. She's so cute and having so much fun and I feel it's a real achievement for her and one of those stages that they all go through - learning to ride a bike, albeit with stabilisers!
Anyway because she's exactly the same age at the time time of year as Christopher was as they were both born in April (if that makes sense) it really brings it home to me just how poorly he was and how much he missed out on.
By this time of his life, just coming up to being 4 in April, he was undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy, had lost all his hair and although we didn't know it yet, the cancer had spread to his spine.
We were living 5 days a week in Birmingham due to him having radiotherapy and a general anaesthetic every day. He was separated from Katherine and Matthew who he loved dearly and was just a sick little boy.
It really seems to be foremost in my mind at the moment just because Isobel is the same age - I'm sure it will pass - well it's bound to really because Christopher died just after his fourth birthday and God forbid that will happen to Isobel - there won't be so much to compare age wise.
I'm sorry I'm waffling and probably not making any sense.
I just needed to write it down really, I find it helps me to sort things out in my mind.
Sarah x
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While we were away last week, one of Katherine's school friends phoned her and asked if we would have their cat as they are emmigrating to Bulgaria. I wasn't at all sure but said we'd have her for a short while just to help them out but that I didn't think Andy would agree and we might have to re-home her.
To our surprise Andy (after a little bit of persuading) was really keen! She arrived Friday evening just as we arrived back from Centre Parcs and she spent the whole evening under the cupboard.
She eventually came out when the kids went to bed and now she's settled really well.
She's a brown tabby cat who is around 5 or 6 years old and her name is Tammy.
She really is a cutie and already a very welcome member of our family.
I said we wouldn't have any more pets after having two cats and several rats - never say never eh??!
Sarah x
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We've just had a lovely few days away at Centre Parcs in Sherwood Forest. We booked it as a surprise for the children and told them about it on Christmas day!
Me and Andy didn't buy each other Christmas presents as this was our Christmas treat and it was fab.
Isobel was so brave in the water and she loved it! She would sleep and eat in the pool if she could. She's so confident and even if her head went under the water she'd just come up, splutter a bit and carry on playing.
Katherine and Matthew played badminton which they both enjoyed and then Katherine entered a badminton tournament and came 5th out of 9 pairs which was pretty good considering she was just about the youngest there. She played really well and if her partner had matched her in ability I think they'd have done much better.
My sister Jane joined us for the day on Wednesday as she lives in Nottingam and it was a lovely treat. We spent most of the afternoon at the pool and then walked back to the villa in the evening for tea. As always whenever Auntie Jane visits, there was lots of laughs and silliness!
Katherine was ill one day and ended up throwing up in the lake - not sure why but we put it down to the water in the pool as my tummy was upset that evening too.
On the last day we had a game of ten pin bowling and Matthew won! He was very pleased. I really enjoy bowling and we should go more often.
Sarah x
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Well what a couple of days I've had!!
It started on Friday afternoon just as I was going out of the door to work (still loving my little job at Morrisons). I checked my purse for my clock card and realised that my switch card was missing! The only place I'd used it that day was at the new Sainsburys in town and there was nothing I could do about it until I'd finished work at 7pm! I needed to do a bit of shopping as it was Andy's birthday the next day and I had a tenner in my purse just got the bare minimum. I called at Sainsbury's on my way home and fortunately they'd got my card so that was ok.
The next day was Andy's birthday and we had a lovely day. I went to work at 2pm and when I was there they told me that my staff discount card had arrived! I was very excited and when I finished work I bought a few bits that I'd put off buying until my card arrived but when I tried to use my card it kept saying account not valid!! Anyway one of the supervisors sorted it and just gave me the equivalent of 10% back in cash.
I trotted off to collect the chinese takeaway I'd ordered as a birthday treat for Andy and as I went to pay for it I realised that due to all the commotion with the discount card, the girl had forgotten to give me my cash back so I couldn't pay for the food!!
The man in the chinese was lovely and took what little money I had and said enjoy your meal and drop the rest of the money in another time, how lovely.
Well we ate our chinese and got all ready to go out..... Katherine couldn't find the backing track that she wanted and that made us really late. We arrived at the club only to find that it wasn't open that night due to the organiser having too many other committments!!!
I couldn't believe it - how much more wrong could everything go for us???
It turned out ok though as one of the kids friends came round (he'd arranged to meet us at the club) and we ended up with a live performance in our front room! Matthew played bass guitar, Mark was on accoustic guitar and Katherine sang. It was lovely.
Sunday couldn't get any worse could it?? Well.......... our boiler packed up so we have no heating or hot water!!
On a happier note. Katherine was asked to sing in the choir at the big church in the town for their Christmas carol service. It was a brilliant evening. She sang the first verse to Once in Royal David's City as a solo. Her voice sounded wonderful - so pure and fresh - just like a choir boy.
The whole choir were brilliant and I felt so proud of her all dressed up in her long white robe (not sure what the proper name is).
So then........ let's see what today brings!
Sarah x
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I'm sooo excited! I've got myself a little part time job on the checkout at Morrisons! I started my induction on Saturday and I really enjoyed it. I start my checkout training on Thursday and I can't wait!
I've been thinking about getting a little job for a while now but I'm so pleased I got this one. It's so handy for me and the hours fit in brilliant with the family.
I've also almost finished my Christmas shopping and Katherine has wrapped it all too!
I can't believe how organised we are this year!
Just a few bits and pieces to do and that's it. I need to be organised though as I'm cooking my first ever Christmas dinner this year and my parents are coming too!!
Sarah x
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Just a quick note to let you know that I've updated the events page.
If you are around on any of the dates mentioned please pop by and say hi, it would be great to see you!
Sarah x
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Some of you may remember that Katherine has been asked to sing in the town for the switching on of the Christmas lights on Friday.
We were really excited when she was asked - it's quite an honour.
I had an email from the council today just confirming the plans and they said that by way of a thank you for being involved in the festivities - they were going to donate £100 to our fund!!
It was such a lovely surprise and totally unexpected.
If anyone is around on Friday, Katherine will be singing in the Market Place in Hinckley from around 5.10pm.
See you soon!
Sarah x
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Some of you may remember that when we went to Devon in July Katherine sang at the holiday village. Although she was the only one in her age group and didn't qualify to win the weekend away, the Entertainments Manager was so impressed with her that he invited her back to the final and gave us the free weekend anyway!!
It was a huge decision whether to go back or not as it's such a long way for a weekend and it meant Katherine had to miss the last day of the show she was in at the local theatre and she loves being in the show.
Anyway it was all worth it in the end as she took first prize!
The general manager of the holiday village said that in the 12 years that she'd been there she'd never seen more deserving finalists, she said everyone of the teens deserved their place in the final and the standard was so high!
Katherine was brilliant, she sang Songbird (Eva Cassidy) a'capella and the audience went wild!
It was quite nerve wracking as we didn't know right until the results were read out whether she'd win or not.
Soooo many people came up to her and said how brilliant she was and they were sure she'd win.
After the finals, when we were on our way back to the chalet, lots of people kept stopping her and telling her how fab she was and congratulating her, she was like a mini celebrity!
I'm so pleased that she won and had something just for her. She's done so much over the last couple of years to help raise money for our fund that it was time she had something of her own.
She got a certificate, a trophy and £50 cash!!
Here are some of the pics.
Sarah x
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Since we found out that Christopher's tumour was back and he needed another operation. We'd been in the local hospital over the weekend and I had to listen to doctors telling me there was nothing wrong with him when I knew there was. I discharged him Saturday evening and late on the Sunday night my sister took us to Birmingam children's hospital and it was so different, the staff really took notice of what I was telling them. They said if I thought there was something wrong, then there probably was. He had a scan on the following Tuesday and was in theatre on the Wednesday (19th Oct).
It was a really difficult time. When he came from theatre he had an external drain (a tube coming out of his head) which was draining excess fluid into a bag by the bed.
He had that in for 3 weeks! It was awful. It got infected too and made him really ill. They were injecting antibiotics through the tube straight into his brain.
I finally went home for one night to spend time with Katherine and Matthew, Andy stayed with Christopher and when I got home Andy rang to say that Christopher was having to have a blood transfusion. I felt awful, so guilty that I'd left him.
We also were told the devastating news that they didn't think they'd got all the tumour out so they were going to have to operate again. My Mum said she saw the colour drain from my face when they told me.
I was so upset and cross - I couldn't believe that my baby was going to have to undergo more major brain surgery for the third time that year and only 3 weeks after just having had it done!
I had a bad night on Wedneday when I went to bed. My grief hit me like a ton of bricks. The pain was so intense, I couldn't even cry. I so badly wanted to hold my baby and talk to him and hear his voice and look into those gorgeous blue eyes.
Dates stick in my mind so vividly and each year when a certain date comes around it takes me right back again like it happened only yesterday.
Thanks for reading if you got this far. I just needed to write it down.
Sarah x
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Katherine will be performing in the Band Stand in Argent's Mead in Hinckley on Saturday 13th October 2-4pm.
She will be promoting and selling her fundraising CD's 'For Christopher' and 'Sound of Summer'.
If you are local please come along and support her.
Tell all your friends - we'd like a decent crowd there. The more the merrier!
Thanks Sarah x
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Well it was well worth all the stress and hard work - it was brilliant!
Everyone said they had a fantastic evening and really enjoyed themselves. The bands were ace. Katherine was fabulous, the raffle went well. Everything was great.
It was lovely to have two people from Edward's Trust there and it was wonderful to be able to present a cheque to them for £1,000!!
So far we think the evening raised around £1,100 which is a great amount and hopefully CD sales will bring in even more money - so please buy the CD!!
I felt really nice when I was all dressed up and I got lots of compliments.
Katherine looked and sounded amazing - she had three changes of outfits and she looked fab in all of them.
Matthew was brilliant on his bass guitar - lots of people said so.
All the acts were outstanding. Youth Band were awesome, as was Katherine's teacher Mark Boast, Article, Brad (Katherine's school friend, Michelle (Katherine's school friend who she sand a duet with). Jane from Mumszone sang too and she really rocked!! Even my Dad did a number on his ukelele and he was really good too!
The CD is available from the 'support us' page so please buy one - it's an absolute bargain and all the proceeds go to charity and the feedback so far from people who've heard it is 'breathtaking' and 'even better than last years'!
Sarah x
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Gosh I can't believe it! The concert it tomorrow!!!!! Oooooh help!
I feel really stressed today! There's still quite a bit to do and I don't know where to start!
Ooooh. I'm excited but nervous, I bet I won't sleep tonight!
All our outfits are sorted out so that's good. Just a case of getting us all ready on time.
Isobel needs to have a late sleep tomorrow afternoon so she won't be too tired at the concert.
I still wish we'd sold more tickets but loads of people have told me that they are coming even though they've not bought tickets.
I'm looking forward to see the girls from Mumszone who are coming over, it's so fab that they are coming and it will be such fun to see them all again.
I just hope everything goes according to plan tomorrow and I hope and pray that every one is fit and well with no bugs and illnesses - especially Katherine!!!
Ooooh oooh. I hope my dress looks ok on the night!
I need to feed Isobel and get her off to playgroup now and then Andy and me need to nip into town to get some bits and pieces.
I'll update everyone soon!
Sarah x
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How exciting!!
I almost missed it - I was upstairs. I ran down just in time to hear the Fosseway radion presenter, James Wall, talking about the CD and promoting the concert!!
It sounded great and he also promoted the website and told people that's where they can buy the CD from!!
Well done Fosseway radio. Thank you!
Sarah x
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There's a fabulous article in the Hinckley Times today. Rachel always does a brilliant write up.
The pic is really good and it's on page 3 which is an excellent place to be!
I hope it helps to sell lots more tickets and CD's.
You can see a copy of it on the 'media' page.
Sarah x
We had stalls at two local carnivals, Burbage Carnival last Sunday and Hinckley Carnival the week before.
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