Post by Dave on Mar 18, 2009 17:41:44 GMT
Very Special Mascot Kit Appeal
This is a very special mascot kit appeal, for a very brave eight year old boy who has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.
I will do my best to write this as I struggled to keep my eyes dry driving home from work today and broke down when I got home, thankfully Carol was there waiting for me and her hugs and love were able to get me to pull myself together again.
I will explain why I hope we can buy this young man his mascot kit and maybe even be able to buy him a special present as well, but first I would like to tell you about him.
His name is Lewis Starkie and he is just eight years old and on the 19/5/2008 he was diagnosed as having Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. Since then he has undergone initial chemo treatment at Bristol Children’s Hospital during the months of May and June in 2008.
This was followed up by two delayed intensive chemo courses at the RD&E at Exeter; the first one was done in September and October 2008 and the second one January and February 2009.
He is now on a maintenance phase of chemo treatment for the next two and a half years and after that he will be reviewed and decisions taken on the next stage. He has had to have fitted a special device under his armpit to make things better for him to have the chemo treatments. As someone who has watched the effects chemo drugs has on the person who has to have them, I know this young boy has had many bad days, but he is a very brave young boy and a fighter.
It was just after he was diagnosed that I became aware of this little boy and he has really touched me as for one so young to have these problems is so very sad and I have found myself asking the same questions I did when Carol found out she had cancer, WHY, WHY WHY.
I was about to go to the bank for my company and walked from the workshop into our shop area to leave the building, there on the other side of the counter was a man who works for one of our customers, a man I have laughed and joked with for over six years now, when I have called into his work place.
I just said hello how are you and his eyes swelled up and I took him outside where he broke down completly, it was early days for him and as would be expected his thoughts were that his son might die. I talked with him for such a long time, trying to make him see that while his son was very ill, he needed his dad to be strong for him and to join in his fight to try and win the major battle ahead and I was able to let him know how it was for me and where I had got to and that he would get there as well, but first he had to deal with his fears and see that there is always hope and that is what he must have and never give up.
Then I heard that our own Toddy had Leukaemia, his is different form Lewis’s and the treatment is also different, but I just thought what a great role model Toddy could be to Lewis and so I talked with his dad and suggested that Lewis should be made aware of Chris Todd and how he was winning his battle with cancer, let Lewis see that its not the end of the world and with the right treatment and the real will and fight, it can be overcome. Lewis has been helped a great deal by the Toddy story and wanted to be a mascot for the day at our club. As you would expect he would have liked to have been able to meet Chris on the day, but as we know he is out on loan.So he has asked to meet Tim Sills on the day and dad got a letter from the club about him being a mascot.
I do not want to get into any debate what the club should do etc, they are aware that Lewis has Leukaemia and the reason he wants to be a mascot. Anyway the club has said he can be but he has to buy a mascot kit to wear on the day and it looks like its going to be on the same day the forum is having a match day carvery at Plainmoor.I was pleased that Lewis was going to have a day he will never forget and then said my goodbyes to the dad.
It was on my mind for the next hour and I drove back to see him again and said that I ran a forum and I’m sure my fellow members might like to pay for the kit for Lewis, I told him to go and pay for the kit and that I would cover the full cost.
We should be proud on the day Lewis is our mascot for the day and I know for me it’s going to be a really special day and one I will never forget.
If you would like to offer a small sum towards the cost then please let me know, if there was any money left over I would hope we could buy Lewis a present of his choice.
Many thanks Dave R
This is a very special mascot kit appeal, for a very brave eight year old boy who has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.
I will do my best to write this as I struggled to keep my eyes dry driving home from work today and broke down when I got home, thankfully Carol was there waiting for me and her hugs and love were able to get me to pull myself together again.
I will explain why I hope we can buy this young man his mascot kit and maybe even be able to buy him a special present as well, but first I would like to tell you about him.
His name is Lewis Starkie and he is just eight years old and on the 19/5/2008 he was diagnosed as having Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. Since then he has undergone initial chemo treatment at Bristol Children’s Hospital during the months of May and June in 2008.
This was followed up by two delayed intensive chemo courses at the RD&E at Exeter; the first one was done in September and October 2008 and the second one January and February 2009.
He is now on a maintenance phase of chemo treatment for the next two and a half years and after that he will be reviewed and decisions taken on the next stage. He has had to have fitted a special device under his armpit to make things better for him to have the chemo treatments. As someone who has watched the effects chemo drugs has on the person who has to have them, I know this young boy has had many bad days, but he is a very brave young boy and a fighter.
It was just after he was diagnosed that I became aware of this little boy and he has really touched me as for one so young to have these problems is so very sad and I have found myself asking the same questions I did when Carol found out she had cancer, WHY, WHY WHY.
I was about to go to the bank for my company and walked from the workshop into our shop area to leave the building, there on the other side of the counter was a man who works for one of our customers, a man I have laughed and joked with for over six years now, when I have called into his work place.
I just said hello how are you and his eyes swelled up and I took him outside where he broke down completly, it was early days for him and as would be expected his thoughts were that his son might die. I talked with him for such a long time, trying to make him see that while his son was very ill, he needed his dad to be strong for him and to join in his fight to try and win the major battle ahead and I was able to let him know how it was for me and where I had got to and that he would get there as well, but first he had to deal with his fears and see that there is always hope and that is what he must have and never give up.
Then I heard that our own Toddy had Leukaemia, his is different form Lewis’s and the treatment is also different, but I just thought what a great role model Toddy could be to Lewis and so I talked with his dad and suggested that Lewis should be made aware of Chris Todd and how he was winning his battle with cancer, let Lewis see that its not the end of the world and with the right treatment and the real will and fight, it can be overcome. Lewis has been helped a great deal by the Toddy story and wanted to be a mascot for the day at our club. As you would expect he would have liked to have been able to meet Chris on the day, but as we know he is out on loan.So he has asked to meet Tim Sills on the day and dad got a letter from the club about him being a mascot.
I do not want to get into any debate what the club should do etc, they are aware that Lewis has Leukaemia and the reason he wants to be a mascot. Anyway the club has said he can be but he has to buy a mascot kit to wear on the day and it looks like its going to be on the same day the forum is having a match day carvery at Plainmoor.I was pleased that Lewis was going to have a day he will never forget and then said my goodbyes to the dad.
It was on my mind for the next hour and I drove back to see him again and said that I ran a forum and I’m sure my fellow members might like to pay for the kit for Lewis, I told him to go and pay for the kit and that I would cover the full cost.
We should be proud on the day Lewis is our mascot for the day and I know for me it’s going to be a really special day and one I will never forget.
If you would like to offer a small sum towards the cost then please let me know, if there was any money left over I would hope we could buy Lewis a present of his choice.
Many thanks Dave R
I'll match the twenty quid Dave...................just post a payment method and consider it done. Can we replicate the method used for the internet credits?