We are fortunate to have many wonderful supporters who have taken on challenges to raise funds for our vital work. Take a look at some of their inspiring efforts below.
If you have a fundraising effort you would like to share, please contact us and we will be delighted to highlight your efforts here and on our social media pages.
Becca’s fundraising story
James’ fundraising story
James completed the ABP Newport Wales Marathon in April 2018 in memory of his dear friend, Josh Rogers. Josh, 26, sadly passed away owing to complications from CGD. James raised over £1,300 for the CGD Society.
My training for the marathon went well. I trained for four months without any injuries or niggles, and in the lead up to the marathon I ended up covering 784 miles, with my longest run being 22 miles. The day itself was a total rollercoaster of emotions.
During the race I had spells when I felt exuberant because of the support from everyone who was there on the day. Yet, at other times, I was overcome with emotion as I found myself thinking about Josh. Entering the last mile was tough and I felt that I was going to have to lower my pace to a walk. But by digging deep and powering over a bridge (which felt like a mountain at this stage) I managed to find something extra and ended up achieving my best pace of the day, pushing as fast as I could, for that last mile.
Approaching the finish line and seeing not only my friends and family but also Josh’s family lining the streets and cheering me on, I could not help but burst into tears. I was feeling unbelievably happy that I had completed my first marathon but more so that I had done it in honour of my best friend, Josh.
My friendship with Josh (Lil Josh as I called him) was long. We first met way back in comprehensive school and our friendship grew quickly as we used to play football together for our local team, Fields Park. We lived but a stone’s throw away from each other. We would often go down to the field and kick a ball around with each other and with other friends. As we grew older, we continued to stay best friends and would often go down the pub and have a game of pool and darts. We went to sporting events, such as the Olympics and ice hockey. We also went on a few holidays together. These are some of my fondest memories of our times together, and some of the laughs we shared will never be forgotten. Josh lived his life to the fullest and I am honoured to have spent time with him over the years, even if it was too short.
Well done, James. We are so glad the day went well and we really appreciate your fundraising.
Sunita’s fundraising story
Sunita raised over £7,000 for us as her son Raylen went through a BMT.
‘During a 7-week stay in hospital in 2018, our son Raylen (aged 5yrs old at the time) was diagnosed with CGD. As a result, Raylen would get frequent bacterial and fungal infections, and had to take daily medication to stay healthy. However, problems can still arise and lead to serious illnesses and prolonged periods in hospital. The only cure for our son’s condition was a Bone Marrow Transplant to be carried out at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Prior to having the BMT, Raylen had to go through Chemotherapy, which meant losing his hair. To help Raylen come to terms with this, our families and friends took on the challenge of shaving their heads or going very short. Sunita (Raylen’s mum) and 7 family members took on the challenge and each donated 7″ to 10″ of their hair to the Little Princess Trust, who will use the hair to make wigs for children affected by hair loss as a result of cancer treatment or other conditions’.
Thank you so much for your support and for all your wonderful fundraising events you ran. As say, your fundraising means our vital work can continue so thank you very much indeed.