Youngsters fundraise during summer holidays for fellow pupil
A GROUP of friends from Ettington Primary School have been spending their summer holidays taking part in sporting activities for a fellow pupil, who has been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition.
Nine-year-old Clover Brown, from Halford, was diagnosed with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) 18 months ago and regularly goes to John Radcliffe hospital, in Oxford, for two-weeks at a time for treatment.
Clover has to miss large amounts of school with her admissions and her friends from school have been so supportive - many of them travel to Oxford to see her each time she is there.
Clover’s mum Philippa Brown is running the Great North Run, on Sunday 11th September, to raise money for research and earlier diagnosis via the PCD Family Support Group.
Having heard about Philippa’s run, Clover’s friends and their parents decided that they also wanted to fundraise, but this time to raise money to make the play areas at the John Radcliffe better for long-term patients and to buy more physiotherapy equipment.
Hazel Sharpe and her family, from Stratford, are embarking on a summer of sporting activities in the hopes of travelling over 13 miles.
Hazel’s daughters, along with ten other friends will travel 13 miles by various methods, including three-legged races, swimming, cycling and running.
Hazel said: “It’s incredibly heart-warming to see a group of friends want to support Clover whilst she gets treatment for PCD.
“It sends such a powerful message that these children are willing to give up some of their summer holidays to help support the Oxford Children’s Hospital, and we hope by the end of the summer to have reached our goal.”
PCD sufferers have abnormality of cilia, the microscopic hairs that beat within the airways removing secretions from the respiratory tract.
The condition affects the nose, ears, sinuses, reproductive system and lungs, and if left untreated can lead to lung disease called Bronchiectasis.
Only 3,000 people in the UK have been diagnosed with PCD and Clover had a relatively late diagnosis.
Clover does now have a small area of Bronchiectasis on her lung and she also wears a hearing aid, as glue ear due to PCD has permanently damaged both her ear drums.
There is currently no cure for PCD - it is a life-long condition and Clover has to do chest physio three times a day, along with nebulised treatments and oral antibiotic medications.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Philippa-Brown4 and www.justgiving.com/fundraising/children-hospital-oxfordTo make a donation visit