Updates
Our progress towards raising our 1m target
George had a really good physio session today adding a lot more exercises and challenging him in different ways. It was also helpful to check in to help us correct and refine what we've already been doing with the physio noticing things like his hips going all skewey. It's clear his muscles have already weakened to quite some degree as he becomes more dependent on his body brace to keep him straight following his cancer surgery. But none of that quelled his plucky, can do cheeky attitude that he showed throughout the session today 😍
It was whilst at hospital he revealed he wore not one but two elasticated ties to school today 🤦🏼♀️ #bossingit Kids really can be so funny! I dropped him back just in time for him to have lunch with his brother which he was so excited about being that this was a complete and utter novelty (he normally has lunch with the year 1 and 2 kids but we we're back to late and already missed that slot). It was then my turn to go out and do some exercise with a run around Reigate Priory Park. I may have recently gone in a bit hard as George's physio told me the pains in my knees that I've been experiencing are what's called 'runners knees' (I've only been out 4 times...haha, the irony!) She was kind enough to also give me some exercises to do which is a good job as today I took a place to run for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and the Giant Pledge in the London Marathon....!
Yes you read that right, with 12 weeks to go I've upped the anti from the Racemaker virtual challenge to taking a place in the London Marathon - I must be mad! The truth of the matter is when you see everything that happens to children with cancer you'll do anything to try and stop it happening. Woody is still hoping for a place with the Marsden too but so far just one became available so I went for it on the basis it's good for your mental health too.
Time to invest in new running gear starting with a pair of trainers that properly fit me thinks! It might well also be an idea to buy some shares in Tena Lady judging by my recent efforts! Joking aside I'll take any suggestions or good advice on what running kit to buy to help me master my Marathon challenge as well as what not to bother with save me making mistakes running with all the gear but no idea...I don't have time to mess about in the next 12 weeks, gulp!
I know so many of you have given before but if you could help this non runner feel motivated and make this painful run worthwhile it would be amazing if you could donate here, www.justgiving.com/fundraising/vickis26. It's a very basic JustGiving page so far as I only set it up last minute today but every penny will mean the world to me and help keep me motivated to finish the course knowing all the money goes to help beat childhood cancer helping other children like George.
Between us we've got this.
#thebigpush
#aimhighstaypositive
#giantpledge
Donate to help beat childhood cancer or join the team with your own fundraising event in 2018 at giantpledge.com/team
Buy one of our 'Tackle Childhood Cancer' tees or pick up your superhero cape in honour of the doctors, nurses and super brave cancer kids at giantpledge.com/shop
Sing along & share our charity 'Do a Big Poo' song, youtu.be/U3iOmhIIc_s or buy it here, giantpledge.com/buy
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/georgeandthegiantpledge
On Twitter: twitter.com/giantpledge
And on Instagram: instagram.com/giantpledge
Or for help with any event you may be thinking of email Lydia.Clark2@rmh.nhs.uk and cc us at GeorgeandtheGiantPledge@gmail.com
Today I arrived to collect George from school only I'd completely forgotten he's now started at an after school club 🤦🏼♀️ Something that's quite normal for kids to do only for George this is his first so it's pretty big news. He still crashes spectacularly getting so tired even a year on from his cancer treatment finishing so we've been avoiding mid-week extra curricular activities for obvious reasons. Much like many other kids he doesn't know how to read the signs and isn't able to find his off switch so throwing chemo and proton radiation in and we've got ourselves an even harder to read mix!
Needless to say he's been pestering us to do something after school for ages and even got upset a few times when his friends have headed off to a mid-week football club so guess what we put him in this term... that'll be chess club! Not quite what he was expecting or hoping for but we knew it would be best to not start on anything physical. Needless to say, despite never playing chess before, he loved it!
Being that we used to spend hours in isolation in hospital we could have done with knowing how to play chess back then! That's precisely where we were with George on this day in 2017 as he was in isolation for his first post chemo infection as well as having his first ever blood transfusion. Something that originally sounded pretty scary that fast became part of our cancer everyday routine with 16 blood and platelet transfusions over the course of the year (which is nothing compared to some children with cancer so thanks to all of you that are able to donate blood as many wouldn't still be alive without your help!!!)
Talking about spending time with the kids, this half term the Mayor of Reigate & Banstead, together with the Harlequin Theatre & Cinema, is putting on a film gala fundraiser where one of the shows is the new Lego movie!! There are in fact 4 films (I just couldn't fit them all in today's picture) on the weekend of Friday the 15th to the 17th of Feb. I know we're booking in to see the Lego movie and I'm going to try and convince some of my friends to come to along to the sing-along Greatest Showman! See anything you might fancy?! (More details on this link, socsi.in/F99y1) As it's a fundraiser there's a few extras included, for example before the lego movie they'll also be 'fun in the foyer' and you get a small snack and a drink all as part of your ticket price. Get in quick and book with the Harlequin to secure your tickets helping to beat childhood cancer in the process!!
Between us we've got this.
#thebigpush
#aimhighstaypositive
#giantpledge
Donate to help beat childhood cancer or join the team with your own fundraising event in 2018 at giantpledge.com/team
Buy one of our 'Tackle Childhood Cancer' tees or pick up your superhero cape in honour of the doctors, nurses and super brave cancer kids at giantpledge.com/shop
Sing along & share our charity 'Do a Big Poo' song, youtu.be/U3iOmhIIc_s or buy it here, giantpledge.com/buy
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/georgeandthegiantpledge
On Twitter: twitter.com/giantpledge
And on Instagram: instagram.com/giantpledge
Or for help with any event you may be thinking of email Lydia.Clark2@rmh.nhs.uk and cc us at GeorgeandtheGiantPledge@gmail.com
Despite the fact today felt like an unbelievably long day after over indulging at our fundraising Aprés Ski party we've still had a lovely day including catching up with some fab old friends and family. We headed back to the rugby club not only to pick up all last night's various props but also for Alex's Sunday rugby training. After that we went to my parents to help celebrate Grandad's birthday where the boys also got the chance to play with their cousins who'd come down from London 😍 The evening was then perfectly rounded off with the usual Sunday roast only this time with their cousins coming back to join us!
At this point in George's cancer treatment he'd been struck by the god awful potential chemo side effect that is mucositis. Eating let alone talking really wasn't an option and we'd been admitted to East Surrey Hospital with his first of 10 post chemo infections he'd go on to have during the course of his 12 months treatment (yes he only managed to swerve infections from 4 of his 14 rounds of chemo ☹️) However the one saving grace was that we were under the care of the brilliant team there which, as some of you may have already seen, were rated as 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission as part of the overall Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust team ❤️
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Today you couldn't stop him eating or talking, as well as climbing over Grandad during a quick break from his body brace. Let's just say we were happy for him to use up his energy on them rather than us...happy birthday Grandad 😜 Even in our sleepy state we're happy to now be able to share with you our Apres-ski auction we'd originally hoped to launch at last night's event. See www.jumblebee.co.uk/apres-ski
Prizes you can win vary from the biggest auction lot ** One week's stay at Chalet Amelie, Switzerland (4 bed / up to 10 people)** through to other brilliant potential wins such as having superstar Bill Nighy record you your very own personalised answer phone message (star of 'Chalet Girl', 'Love Actually', 'Shaun of the Dead' and many more). Throw in 4 fitness classes at My Body Rocks in Reigate or the chance to win a 3 course COOK meal for 4 to be delivered to your French Chalet if you happen to be going to France this ski season, plus two Trespass mountain wear vouchers we're setting you up for the winter!!!
Take a look and get bidding or perhaps you could simply help by sharing the link to our silent auction, www.jumblebee.co.uk/apres-ski. All proceeds go to the Giant Pledge in support of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity to help beat childhood cancer, what's not to love?!!!
Between us we've got this.
#thebigpush
#aimhighstaypositive
#giantpledge
Donate to help beat childhood cancer or join the team with your own fundraising event in 2018 at giantpledge.com/team
Buy one of our 'Tackle Childhood Cancer' tees or pick up your superhero cape in honour of the doctors, nurses and super brave cancer kids at giantpledge.com/shop
Sing along & share our charity 'Do a Big Poo' song, youtu.be/U3iOmhIIc_s or buy it here, giantpledge.com/buy
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/georgeandthegiantpledge
On Twitter: twitter.com/giantpledge
And on Instagram: instagram.com/giantpledge
Or for help with any event you may be thinking of email Lydia.Clark2@rmh.nhs.uk and cc us at GeorgeandtheGiantPledge@gmail.com
Thanks to everyone that joined us at tonight's Aprés Ski party for making it a truly spectacular evening!!! We certainly had fun so here's hoping you all had a brilliant evening too?!! With DJ Gazman and his non stop classic Euro pop we don't remember seeing an empty dance floor at any point throughout the night! Between him, Woody and Danny from Dare Hairdressing Reigate you can safely say they pulled off the local ski party of the season!
With snow on arrival and shots before you'd so much as loosened your boots or taken your coat off, we even had our very own authentic looking alpine drinks girl to help everyone get in the mood with some schnapps shenanigans ski style! Add to that untold amounts of 'special' / 'vintage' ski gear, including Eddy the Eagle Edwards and his trusty shot'ski, you really could believe you'd just stepped off the Redhill, Reigate slopes at the Old Reigations Rugby Club earlier this evening!
Now to keep your eyes peeled for the silent auction we didn't manage to get live in time to share at our event tonight. It's open to everyone, not just for those that joined us at tonight's party, so fingers crossed we can get it out to you all in our next daily post for even more fantastic fundraising!!! Either way we know tonight's party pushed us over the £920,000 mark 😲!!!
Between us we've got this.
#thebigpush
#aimhighstaypositive
#giantpledge
Donate to help beat childhood cancer or join the team with your own fundraising event in 2018 at giantpledge.com/team
Buy one of our 'Tackle Childhood Cancer' tees or pick up your superhero cape in honour of the doctors, nurses and super brave cancer kids at giantpledge.com/shop
Sing along & share our charity 'Do a Big Poo' song, youtu.be/U3iOmhIIc_s or buy it here, giantpledge.com/buy
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/georgeandthegiantpledge
On Twitter: twitter.com/giantpledge
And on Instagram: instagram.com/giantpledge
Or for help with any event you may be thinking of email Lydia.Clark2@rmh.nhs.uk and cc us at GeorgeandtheGiantPledge@gmail.com
Have you ever found you end up having a sound track to a season or an occasion for no particular reason??! For us Ben Howard became exactly that for the time we spent when George was having chemo at The Royal Marsden - Sutton. We'd always choose him for something relaxing and easy to listen to on the playroom jukebox in the waiting room. For my Christmas present Woody bought us tickets to go and see him live at Brixton Academy, so tonight our post comes on our way home from an evening of chilled tunes and tears whilst thinking of the children we lost to cancer today.
As some of you may have already seen they announced on the Super Strong Sophie blog that she 'peacefully slipped away into her forever sleep' in the early hours of this morning. Another boy called Reece also gained his wings after fighting quite the battle with a brain tumour since May 2016. It's impossible to convey the sadness we feel for each of these families but needless to say we're sending them so much love, hugs and energy at this unbelievably difficult time.
Sophie's parents wrote a very moving poem including lines such as, 'Treasure every moment, every laugh and hug and kiss for you never know when life may suddenly end up like this. I taught you valuable lessons on how to cope with misery and pain, so no matter what you go through, remember you can always smile again. It may not be today, tomorrow, or this week but never give up on living while there's colour in your cheek' 💔❤️💔
We certainly appreciated more than ever the simple things like the children's reaction on picking them up at school today. For us this day over the last few years has also included us noticing George's eyelashes growing back and watching him slowly start to fall back in love with food again. After this last week we're certainly hugging our boys even tighter than ever. It's for all the above reasons we hold events like tomorrow night's Apres ski fundraising party (where you can buy tickets on the door if you haven't already). And why we drove to collect ski lift chairs today putting so much effort into all of our fundraising! Surely all our children deserve hope of a future.
Between us we've got this.
#thebigpush
#aimhighstaypositive
#giantpledge
Donate to help beat childhood cancer or join the team with your own fundraising event in 2018 at giantpledge.com/team
Buy one of our 'Tackle Childhood Cancer' tees or pick up your superhero cape in honour of the doctors, nurses and super brave cancer kids at giantpledge.com/shop
Sing along & share our charity 'Do a Big Poo' song, youtu.be/U3iOmhIIc_s or buy it here, giantpledge.com/buy
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/georgeandthegiantpledge
On Twitter: twitter.com/giantpledge
And on Instagram: instagram.com/giantpledge
Or for help with any event you may be thinking of email Lydia.Clark2@rmh.nhs.uk and cc us at GeorgeandtheGiantPledge@gmail.com